The Dog, The Girl and The Walk in Closet
by Nine-Dead-Alps
Summary: After accidentally stumbling into Ivalice, Edie is desperate to get back. Yet how come the Viera are wary of her? And how come both Al-Cid and The Gran Kiltias Anastasis claim to know her?
1. Chapter I

**The Dog, The Girl and The Walk-in Closet**

Author's Notes:

Ok, first thing's first. Yes, this is an OC fanfiction. No, she doesn't get 'sucked in through a PlayStation/TV'. No, she doesn't have a clue about the world of Ivalice or the plot of FFXII (not because she hasn't played the game. I wanted it to be like an alternate world.) And yes there will be a bit of romance between her and Basch. (I promise that I will try my hardest not to make her into a Mary Sue!)

I wanted to write an OC story because I really enjoy reading/ writing a well-known plot from a different view point. I also like the idea of stumbling across another world, (Disclaimer: I don't take any credit for the whole 'walk-in closet is a door to another world' idea because I clearly robbed that from The Lion, The Witch and The wardrobe!) so I decided to experiment with the plot and characters of FFXII from my first story here on Fanfiction.

Disclaimer:

I don't own FFXII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter I: I've a feeling we're not in Andalucía any more.**

"_I don't mean to sound thick but what does 'lethargic' mean?" Ah, Jane, one of English blood but raised here in Spain so her Spanish vocabulary exceeds her mother-tongue. I wanted to answer her question. _Lethargic means: lazy, slow, sloth-like, in need of Red Bull or the A-grade narcotic that Dave was undoubtedly taking._ Yet considering Dave's current mood you would likely be awarded with a backhander, sacking or a pleasant mixture of the two for your efforts. I kept my mouth shut._

"_It means lazy. You two are very lazy in the morning; you seem to take for-fucking-ever to do something!"_

"_We just don't understand what's gone wrong. In the summer everyone was pulling their weight." Bleated Bev. She was adjusting the complex display of jewellery that the entire first floor of the shop boasted. Jackie must have done the jewellery last night. Jackie was the only one of us immune to the bosses' bitching sessions due to having her lips fused to Bev's arse. _

_Jane and I remained silent, the bollocking wasn't over and interrupting it would only give them more fire power. _

"_Put it this way, you're contracts are coming up for renewal and I'm not sure if I should fucking bother with yours."_

The repetitive sound of a low bark echoed through the stairwell and nipped at my attention, disturbing me from replaying this morning. _What could it be now? I've only just sat down. _I inwardly grumbled, pulling myself up from the small sofa. My legs throbbed from standing up all day in the shop in high-heeled boots. Ignoring the dull ache, I clomped down the stairwell. The sound of my boots on the tiles mingled with the relentless barking of my dog, Kaiser.

The apartment block was three stories high, and with me living at the top, all I could think of was that I would have to climb the two flights of stairs to return to the haven of my sofa. As I reached the small foyer, I noted the bottom apartment's door was wide open. Jorge probably had left it ajar this morning. He was always scatterbrained in the morning. From within the bowels of the unoccupied apartment came Kaiser's offensively loud barks. Irritated, I marched in. It sounded as if he was in the bedroom, which was all the way at the back.

The air was thick and fusty, probably due to it being closed up for some time. It was a pity we hadn't found a tenant yet. Jorge had constructed it himself in the large garage space that spans the entire length of the building. It was decked out in a rustic style with intricate stone work on the kitchen worktops, bathroom counter and even a mosaic in the centre of the living room floor. The bathroom sink was fashioned from a huge terracotta plant pot. The doors were a dense, dark stained wood with brass doorknobs. In short, it always helped having a boyfriend who was a builder by trade.

I entered the bedroom to find Kaiser stood, ridged with his legs wide and his head held down low. Each bark was emitted from him with such force that his head would lunge forward slightly. The bark itself was coming from deep within his throat, like a bad cough. The cause of this was the walk-in closet, which had also been left wide open.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" I scolded him yet he wasn't interested.

His eyes were set on the darkness that dwelled, silently within the closet. "Hey! Quit it!" I yank at his leather collar and attempted to steer him away and out of the bedroom. However, Kaiser was a large and incredibly strong dog. Being a mix between a Husky and German Shepherd worked in his favour. "Fine!" I sighed in defeat whilst unhooking my fingers from his collar. I turned towards the source of his anxious barking.

The closet had bed sheets, towels and even a pair of curtains stored, hanging in it yet their forms where shrouded by the thick gloom. The more I peered into the closet's depths, the more threatening that darkness became. As if it would loom out and snatch us up. It was the kind of closet that wouldn't have seemed out of place in a film like 'The Grudge'.

As I neared the closet's doorframe, Kaiser stopped barking. Looking over my shoulder, I saw he was sat on his haunches with his big, thick ears, pointing forward in attention.

"See? Nothing's there, silly." I said warmly, whilst holding my hand out, trying to coax him nearer.

He stubbornly remained in his statue-like stillness. Not one to be beaten, I rummaged around in my little, brown leather shoulder bag. It wasn't surprising I still had it on, after all, the first thing I had done when I was home was flop onto my sofa. My fingers seized a rock and plucked it from the bag's innards. "Wanna play fetch?" I tempted, holding my hand out so he could see the rock nestled in my palm.

His tail began to wag. It thudded dully on the tiles. Fetch was Kaiser's favourite game. He could play it for hours without tiring. This was why my handbags were always weighed down with rocks. "Ready?" He was up on all four again. An excited yelp was his response. "Fetch!" I threw the rock into the closet, where it clattered along the floor. Without hesitation, he bounded after it, into the closet. _Dogs are so dumb._

I waited with my arms folded for him to return. Moments passed and he was still in there. _It wasn't that big a closet, he must have found it by now._ I listened to see if I could hear him panting or his nails click against the floor. Nothing, there was only silence.

"Kaiser! Come on slowpoke!"

Nothing. I approached the closet and fumbled around on its inner wall for the light-switch. My fingers pressed down on the smooth, plastic button. No light greeted me. _Great._ I entered the dimness, slowly and tried pushing thoughts of what could mutely lurk within its depths from my mind. Stretching my arms out in front of me, I shuffled forward. My fingertips brushed against something. A yelp of shock escaped my lips and I jerked my hand back. After calming myself, I groped the mystery object to find it was a bed sheet. _What was wrong with me? Only 5-year-olds are afraid of closets._

"Kaiser?" My voice came out in a shaky whisper. In the immense stillness it sounded deafening. "Kaiser, where'd you go?" Nothing.

I pushed past the bed sheets and towels, little by little. My breath was becoming shallow and I could feel a bead of sweat snake from my hairline, down to my temple. _Get a grip, you're gonna pass out in here if you don't stop being stupid!_ I mentally scolded whilst taking a few measured breaths. I continued on for what seemed like an age. _How big is this thing anyway? _The bed sheets and towels clung to my form as if they wished to smother me. I turned and yanked at them, attempting to peel them from my waist and legs.

"Oh come on for fuck's sake!" I hissed whilst harshly yanking at the offending material. It loosened effortlessly, too effortlessly, as I tumbled to the ground. I braced myself to feel the crash of my head hit the back wall of the closet, but it never came.

I blinked a few times. Once my eyes had adjusted to the shift in light, I found I was no longer in the claustrophobic environment of the closet. Instead I sat in a dusty street in front of a doorway, as if I had just fallen out of it. My forehead crinkled in a frown of confusion. _Where the hell am I?_ I pondered as I quickly pulled myself up from the dirt. A towel that had been clung to me in the closet was draped over my shoulder. I briskly walked forward and entered the doorway. It had no door only a length of plum material. I drew it back, expecting to see the gloom of the closet yet only boxes and crates stacked against the wall greeted my vision. Dumbfound, I tried the manoeuvre three more times, only to be rewarded with the same result.

Turning my back to the door I ran my eyes over my new surroundings. Tall, sandstone buildings brushed the sky. Their structure was old, almost medieval in design. The streets were cobbled in elaborate patterns, they reminded me of the cobbles in the small Spanish village where I lived. _Was I in the past?_ I mused still gazing. _Don't be stupid! How can a closet take you to the past? _

I noticed the narrow alleyway lead to the hustle and bustle of a market place. Leaving the shade of the lane, I immediately felt the heat of the sun. It was mercilessly hot. Its heat was on par with a Spanish summer. It was winter back in Spain so my boots and long-sleeved dress only added to the intense warmth. I rolled my sleeves up in hope to cool down a little. Luckily, my dress was quite short, stopping mid-thigh. I then cast the towel aside, after all there was no point in keeping it, plus I felt like a character from 'Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy' with it slung over my shoulder.

The market place was an assault on the senses. Coloured material was draped over the diminutive stalls, protecting merchants from the sun. Fruits, nuts and herbs were plentiful, though I failed to identify any of them. Sweet, fragrant smoke cast about the air from oil-burners on one stall. Another had strips of tough, dried meat hanging from the stall's wooden frame.

A flash of silver caused me to pause at a stall. It sold well-crafted daggers and even though they were beautiful, there were clearly not for decoration. Lifting my eyes from the daggers I noticed the vender. A spasm of shock jolted down my back, sending my legs weak. Despite this, I still managed to jump back a few paces, nearly knocking a young boy over.

"Watch it!" He spat.

I took no notice- I couldn't- my eyes were fixed on the market stall vender. I could feel them widen in a mixture of fear and wonder. The vender was a big creature, with hard scales for skin. His face was similar to that of a lizard with beady eyes and a long snout yet he had strange, stretched ears that hung past his jaw. His mouth had small, sharp teeth jutting from his thick scaled lips.

"What you lookin' at Hume?" He question in a low, gruff voice. His mouth had barely moved.

"Um.."

"Ain't you ever seen a Bangaa before?" It was probably meant sarcastically but his voice didn't seem to shift in pitch like most people's did.

_Nope._ My mind quipped.

"Erm… sorry.. I didn't mean to offend." I mumbled before quickly shuffling off.

There was an array of weird and wonderful creatures at the market place. One kind resembled a pig. They had thick, leathery skin and a short snout that was nestled too close to their eyes. Bulky, yellow tusks jutted awkwardly from their mouths. They were twice the girth of a human and just as tall. Another kind had a more approachable appearance. They looked a mix between a rabbit and cat with strange little bat wings and a pastel coloured pom-pom that dangled from their heads. I fought the increasing urge to pet one as my ignorance had already angered someone since being here.

A distant, familiar sound seized my attention. It was Kaiser barking. I quickly darted from the market to see him stood not far off. His tongue was hanging from his mouth and his tail wagging to and fro. The rock was at his feet. Upon seeing this image a thought stuck me. _I can only 'go back' if Kaiser's with me!_

"Kaiser!" I jogged over to him. He, however, was still in a playful mood and decided to quickly scoop up the rock and gallop off. "Kaiser!" I hurriedly ran after him, dodging the surprised mix of races. They acted as if they had never seen a dog before. "Kaiser, ven! Ven aqui!(Kaiser, come! Come here!)" I bellowed, hoping he'd respond better to Spanish. After all, he was a Spanish dog. My boots hit the cobbles hard with each quickened step. _Why did I have to wear boots today?_ My eyes darted through the throngs of people, catching glimpses of his black coat. "Kaiser! Ven aqui ahora mismo!(Kaiser! Come here right now!)"

The mischievous dog swerved down yet another narrow street. Dodging an old man, I slammed into the back of a girl with pigtails. The two of us crashed to the ground in a pile of limbs. The impact knocked the air from my lungs in a jerk. Despite being momentarily winded, I recovered quicker than she did and was back on my feet. It seemed she had been carrying a basket of small, red fruit. The fruit was now scattered all over the street, some had even been badly squished on their impact on the cobbles.

"Sorry. I'm really sorry!" I called over my shoulder as I set off running again. She pulled herself up and began to brush a smear of fruit pulp off her strange outfit.

I continued down the street but when I came to the end of it, it branched out in two different directions. Whirling around, I couldn't spot him anywhere. _Dammit!_

After wondering around for hours, occasionally calling out his name, I admitted defeat. My feet pulsed in pain. I was pretty sure the stinging sensation was that of a scattering of angry blisters. I sat down on the stone edge of a large fountain. It was nestled in the middle of a large courtyard that was brimming with people (and the other creatures). A soft breeze caused the fountain's spray to descend upon me. I tilted my head back, welcoming the cooling mist. Then I remembered I still had my make-up on from my shift at the shop. I quickly rubbed under my eyes to check if it had run. Using the water a mirror, I double checked.

My reflection stared back at me. A length of hair fell over my shoulder in a cascade of raw, dark silk. My skin was still pale from lack of sun it had received in winter and my eyes were tired causing their normal slate-blue shade to become dull.

* * *

"Wait until I find her!" Vaan muttered in annoyance as he strode on ahead. Casting his eyes about the busy streets, he searched for a girl that fitted Penelo's description.

"Vaan, just leave it will you." She said catching up with him.

It was a rare occasion to see her friend so annoyed but losing out on gil did tend to irritate him, especially as it was so hard to come by these days. She wished she had never mentioned the matter. As they crossed the city's large plaza a lone figure caught her eye. Sitting on the stone trimmed edge of the plaza's fountain was the same girl she had seen this morning. She wasn't hard to miss with those strange boots.

"That's her!" Penelo had vocalized this merely out of surprise, rather than informing Vaan.

* * *

As I allowed myself to rest by the fountain I mused on the odd situation I had stumbled into. I couldn't really comprehend how I had been transported here. I was hoping maybe this was some panic induced vision caused by the claustrophobic atmosphere in the closet. Or maybe I actually had hit my head on its back wall and was unconscious and this was some outlandish dream. Either way, I really didn't want to think that a normal closet had transported me and Kaiser here. It just seemed too ridiculous, too much like a fairytale- _Oh god! What about work? I'll be fired for sure if I don't show up tomorrow._ The thought had jumped into my head and now had made a little niche where it could pester me. _What would happen if I couldn't get home? Would anyone notice? What about Mum and Dad, Jorge-_

"Hey, you!" Said a voice.

It freed me from my fretting. I peered up from the water to see a young guy and girl making their way towards me. The girl seemed hesitant, walking a few steps behind the boy with an embarrassed look about her. He, on the other hand, seemed extremely pissed off. "You're the girl, who knocked Penelo over this morning, aren't you?"

I quickly recalled the scene of how I had floored a poor girl with the basket of fruit and speedily ran off. My eye's shifted from the boy to the girl. It was the same one.

"Um.. I'm sorry about that.."

"Well that ain't good enough. Penelo had to pay for the food that was wasted and now we have no Gil to pay rent." The boy said, folding his arms over his practically bare chest as if in waiting for a better apology.

"Oh… Well, I have money on me." I began to fumble around in my shoulder bag for my purse, all the while feeling nervous under the penetrative gaze of his dark eyes. I opened it to find my paper bills had changed currency. They were no longer Euros they were 'Gil'. Ignoring the matter (I undoubtedly would have plenty of time to worry about it later) I began to count off the strange paper money. "Here, will this cover it?" I said warmly and offered a bundle of notes to him. His metal clad hand swiftly snatched the Gil from my fingers.

"It's a start. That fruit you ruined was a rare desert fruit-"

"Vaan! That's enough." Chirped the girl, placing her hands on her hips. "She said she was sorry, let's leave it at that. Besides, I have a ton of work to do."

"I'll help."

The words spilled from my lips before my mind had chance to engage. I guess I still felt terrible about her loosening her rent money because of my clumsiness. Apparently the two youths were as equally surprised by my gesture. "...After all, it's the least I can do, right?"

"I guess." Was all the boy sullenly offered before he turned to his friend, "You better take her with you to Migelo's." With that he walked off, leaving behind myself and the girl with pigtails in an awkward silence.

* * *

Ok, Thanks for reading and I really would like to know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter II

Author's Notes

Firstly, sorry it took forever to get the second chapter up things have been sort of hectic over here. Many thanks to the three people who reviewed! I wasn't really expecting this to get any, not all OC stories do. Anyway, just to warn you this is going to be a _long_ Fanfiction. In these first few chapters, Edie has to befriend Vaan and Penelo before I can intergate her into FFXII's main plot. Hopefully, I'll be able to write about money problems, second jobs and even a heist to stop it from being dull! :)

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter II: Oh my God, I can't believe it. I've never been this far away from home. **

_The young Kiltia ducked slightly, out of fear of being seen. He willed for his heart to return to its normal rhythm, instead of its current feverish beat. After a moment or two, he leaned forward and glanced out of the doorway. _

_She had walked away from the door with plum material and was heading towards the Muthru Bazaar. He watched, fascinated. Was this really the same woman he had known and respected? She held herself differently as she walked. Her footsteps were uncertain, awkward. All the while she was gazing this way and that in wide eyed bewilderment. _

_He held his breath as she neared the end of the alleyway. She paused, surveying the Muthru Bazaar. Eventually, she plucked the white towel from her shoulder. After regarding it momentarily, she let it slip through her fingers and fall to the cobbles. A moment later, she was gone. _

"_Well?" Whispered his fellow Kiltia. He turned to face him. He wore the same concerned expression that no doubt graced his own face. _

"_She has gone." He answered. He then exited the doorway that had been their hiding spot. His limbs ached dully due to them been squashed together, in for what seemed like an age. He dashed to the alleyway's entrance, stopping before the towel. He bent and picked it up. Its brilliant white material was lightly speckled with the dirt of the ground. He cautiously shuffled forward to peep out at the Bazaar. His darting eyes rapidly scanned the hectic flow of people for her face. A flash of dark hair seized his attention. She was looking at some of the merchandise that the stall's offered, the bewildered look was still etched on her face, although it had softened somewhat. _

"_Come, along!" The other Kiltias said, grabbing at his elbow. "We are done. Let us take our leave before she sees us."_

"_Do you think she'd even recognize us if she did indeed spot us, brother?"_

"_Probably not, yet I don't want to squander our efforts. Come, the Mountain awaits our return." _

_He nodded and folded the towel with dexterous fingers. Once it was shaped into a compact package, he carefully placed it into his knapsack. With the last scrap of his task secured, he turned on his heel and walked away, alongside his equal. _

* * *

"You're not from around here, are you?" The girl questioned as we walked along the winding streets to Migelo's shop.

" No."

I guess I must have stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone else's clothes were so dissimilar to my own. Their style had the slightest hint of the Middle East with voluminous cropped trousers and shoes with curled points.

"Well, where are you from?" I could tell she was curious about me. I would catch her giving me quick, sideways glances as we walked.

_Another world and I was transported here by a magical closet_, my mind wisecracked. It then attempted to grasp for a plausible deception.

"This is gonna sound really crazy… but… I-I don't remember."

It made more sense to claim amnesia rather than tell her the bizarre truth. It was more believable than the truth for a start.

"Really? What's the last thing you do remember then?" She halted in her strolling. It seemed her inquisitiveness was on the rise.

"Nothing much. I woke up outside the city.. I think I must have passed out."

I turned to face her. She was younger and slightly shorter than me. Her hair was the colour of straw and woven into two thick plaits. The clothing she wore wasn't like the normal garb that other civilians favoured, yet it didn't stand-out either. It almost resembled a tight-fitting jumpsuit. Subtle details such as delicate, white sleeves and the pale blue feathers that hung from each of her braids soften the otherwise masculine look. It almost suggested she was a tomboy, yet due to her mannerisms and speech, it was obvious she wasn't. Either way, it was a strange choice of clothing for a teenage girl.

"Which part? The Giza plains or one of the deserts?"

"The desert." I said quietly, my face a mask of uncertainty. I hoped I was convincing enough.

"You probably passed out because of the heat. Don't worry. I'm sure your memory will come back soon." She said, her voice brimming with sympathy.

I nodded, though the doubtful look was still etched on my face. "I'm Penelo." She added amiably, although almost as an afterthought. No doubt, she was still musing over the strange circumstances I had found myself in.

"Edie." I returned.

Her button nose wrinkled in a look of confusion.

"That's a strange name. You're defiantly not from around here." She smiled.

* * *

I waited patiently at the shop's entrance, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. I took the opportunity to glance around. The ceiling was so high it made my head spin to look up at it. From its rafters hung small chandlers, made of crystals that radiated light. There were racks and shelves that boasted jars of dried fruits and spices. All of them where labelled in a beautiful penmanship. Again, I didn't recognize any their contents.

Penelo was at the large wooden counter, talking to one of those lizard creatures- a Bangaa. Now and then she would gesture to me with a flick of her hand. In between nodding slowly in understanding, the Bangaa's long head would occasionally turn, as if studying me. I wondered how Penelo had become so trusting of a creature that wasn't a far stretch from a Velociraptor.

After several more minutes seeped by, the two approached me. From the Cheshire cat grin on her face, I could tell the news was good.

"So, you're wanting to help out?" Migelo questioned in a croaky, low voice.

Now that he was nearer, I could see just how much his appearance differed from the Bangaa at the market place. For a start, he was smaller. His scales were a striking mix of blue and cream. A white beard that sprouted from his nose and chin made him seemed a great deal older.

I responded by dumbly nodding my head and willed my eyes not to linger too long on his bizarre features. "Well, we're always in need of extra help. Welcome aboard!" He outstretched his hand. I couldn't help but notice his claws. Before my mind went about imagining what damage they could cause, I placed my own within his and shuck his hand. It was surprisingly warm, I had expected it to feel rubbery and cool due to him resembling a reptile.

"Thank you." I said dropping my hand once more by my side.

"Not at all. Penelo told me all about your situation. Best if you stay in the company of others, lest you have another funny turn."

"So, what would you like me to do?"

His long mouth grew a little more in a contented smile.

"Keen aren't we? I wish Vaan would take on such a quality."

"That would be a waste of a wish, it would never come true!" Penelo exclaimed, light-heartedly as she went to serve a customer, who had approached the counter.

"Well my girl, Penelo and I attend to the customers and Vaan and Kytes run errands. However, I have been in need of someone who can prep and organize my produce. What say you?"

"Sure, sounds fine to me." Suddenly my smile felt more genuine. This would be just like working in Nine, the shop back home.

"_Edie! I need this boot in a 38 and 39. Also, see if there are any more of those gypsy tops in a medium." Jane said, her fingers skilfully tapping on the touch screen computer all the while. Jane was ranked higher than me. She was the cashier and I was the lowly 'runner'. _

"'_Kay." I jotted down the items on a log sheet I had been observing. _

_The shop floor was hectic, brimming with tourists and locals alike. Weaving throughout the mob of women and their bored husbands, I attempted to make for the stock room._

"_Chica! Tienes esto en un L (Girl! Do you have this in a 'Large'?)" Questioned a middle aged Spanish woman in a baritone voice. It could have rivalled a foghorn. _

_It was impossible to get to the stock room without being bombarded with idiotic questions on shoes sizes and clothing colours. I plastered on my phony 'polite face' before responding automatically, _

"_Un momentito, mi voy a ver (One moment, I'll go look)." I quickly scribbled the latest item down on my list and opened a door. _

_It led down to a large basement. Hurriedly descending the flight of stone stairs, I set about searching for the required items. Boxes of shoes were piled high up against the back wall. Finding the required shoe was easy, extracting the box (especially if it nestled at the bottom) was what needed the effort. Luckily, this one was wedged in the centre of the stack. Cautiously, I hooked my finger under the box's ostentatious, pink lid and began to pull it slowly towards me. _Easy.. Easy does it_. Due to most of them getting squashed on their shipping over here, some of them were battered beyond repair. A crumpled corner of the box had snagged on something. Gently tugging it a few times didn't seem to budge the stubborn object. _Okay, do it quick. Like that table cloth trick that magicians do. On the count of three._ I discarded my inventory sheet and grabbed the lip on the lid with both hands._

"_One. Two. Three!" _

_In one quick, harsh yank I had successfully freed the box. However, the forceful movement was absorbed by the surrounding stacks. They wobbled warningly before cascading upon me in an avalanche of cardboard. _

"_Bollocks! Bloody boxes!" I wailed, temped to kick one and send it skittering across the basement floor. I would have too, but the door was abruptly yanked open. _

"_Edie, hurry up! I can't run the shop on my own." Jane called. _

_Her eyes scanned over the mess I had made. She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes behind her thick, black framed Dior glasses. "Come on, you can clean this up later."_

* * *

I plucked the nth jar of dried goods from its place on the high shelf. With it held in a firm grip, I scurried down the wooden set of ladders, like a squirrel with its acorn. Once returned to the safety of the flagstone floor, I walked to a diminutive desk and set the jar upon it. A scroll of parchment was stretched upon the desk's stunted length. Bending down, I picked up a quill and dipped the nib into an ink pot. After double checking the jar's label, I scrawled down its name as neatly as I could manage- I had never written with a quill before.

I was in the pokey, little stockroom of Migelo's Sundries, logging all of the shop's current stock. Even though the room could have been mistaken for a closet, its shelves stretched up to the towering ceiling. If you climbed to the top, you had to watch that your head didn't hit the chandler. I quite liked it here. It was dark and cool. There was a rainbow of scents that changed depending on how far up the ladder you were. Sweet and tart fragrances blended in a tempting aroma. Many a time I paused in my climbing to inhale and memorize them. I was also tempted to open the jars as I logged them, to fully experience their individual smell.

As the ink dried I straightened up, my lower back was becoming stiff. No wonder Migelo was slightly more stooped than the other Bangaas.

"How are you fairing?" Came his distinguishable voice from behind me.

I spun round to face him, blushing slightly. How long had he been standing there?

"Not too bad. Here, see for yourself." I gestured at the scroll. He held a glass monocle close to his dark eye. I waited nervously for his approval.

My job had been to log the jars and whether or not they needed refilling. It wasn't too dissimilar to being a 'runner' in the shop back home. I would check that all the right stock was out on the shop floor as well as fetch items requested by customers. Except at Nine, it was similar to running around like a headless chicken eventually I'd crash and mess up.

"You've registered all this produce?" He sounded surprised.

"Yes. Why, have I done it wrong?"

"No, my girl! You're most efficient. It would have taken Penelo or myself a day to log such an amount!"

Truth be told, I was exhausted. My feet still hurt from running after Kaiser. Although I had taken my boots off so I could scale up and down the ladder with more ease it hadn't relieved the ache. My whole body had donned a heavy, sluggish quality as if weights were attached to my limbs.

"I'm kinda used to working quickly."

"Good. You'll fit in wonderfully here. Though, I would advise you to rest from your duties every once in a while. Don't want to become discouraged so soon, do you now?" I nodded in agreement. "Be seated, I will fetch you a pot of sweet Dalmascan chai."

I sipped the piping hot tea. It was sweetened with lemon and a rich, sticky molasses. A feeling of guilt began to swell within my conscious. I had a job here, a job meant commitment. How could I have so easily cast aside my other life? After flitting back and forth between guilt and self justification in my actions, I decided that when I had finished my shift here I would try and find Kaiser again. I also vowed I would return to the door with plum material, to see if anything had changed. After all, I was only working here to repay Penelo, once I was out of her debt I could leave.

As I swilled the dregs of the now cold chai I overheard Vaan's entry.

"Hey." Penelo greeted, warmly.

"Hey. Is that strange girl still here?"

"Her _name_ is Edie. And yes, she's in the stockroom logging the dried goods."

The teenage boy made an uninterested noise. After a brief pause, Penelo asked,

"I was thinking-"

"No." He said warningly, anticipating her query. "No, she can't stay with us."

"Oh come on Vaan!" Hissed Penelo. Even though they had lowered their voices so that I wouldn't be able to hear their conversation, I could still make out what they were saying. With my interest roused, I quietly rose and sneaked closer to the door that had been left ajar.

"No way!" He hissed back.

"But the poor girl has nowhere to go."

"So? That ain't my problem. I swear Penelo, you're too soft."

"Don't talk nonsense. What is it about her that sets you on edge? Come on, let's hear it because there has to be some reason why you're acting so immature!"

"Immature? She's the one who cost us five hundred Gil!"

"Which, she has offered to pay for _in full_."

"And then what? Another person living with us is gonna cost Gil."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" She sighed before continuing, "Migelo wants to give her a permanent job here, which means she can contribute to the rent, which means you would pay less rent." She explained meticulously as if speak to a child, a rather dim one. There was a lengthy pause as Vaan was considering this new aspect of the situation.

"Fine. She can stay." He muttered eventually. "It's probably temporary anyway, you know? When she gets her memory back she's not gonna want to live in the Low Town with us. She might be married for all we know."

* * *

The door only had a simple padlock to lock it. Penelo quickly removed the fat piece of metal and shoved her shoulder against the door. In one swift push it opened with an audible groan. It seemed the wood was warped- probably due to the sticky heat- as the door's bottom scrapped stubbornly against the floor.

I followed her in, leaving the dingy maze that she had called the 'Low Town' behind me. I cast my eyes around the cramped apartment. It was dank, damp and dilapidated. Penelo had made attempts to brighten up the place with colourful wall hangings, table clothes and silk cushions. There was even a string of those light-crystals snaked along the covings like fairy lights. _God, what a dump_. It seemed five hundred Gil didn't get you much here in Dalamasca.

"I know it's not very glamorous.. But we've called it home for over a year now." She said self-consciously, almost as if excusing the place's shoddy state.

My stomach lurched in a sicken feeling of guilt at my previous attitude. Where I had been brought up, poverty was a distant country that you sent 2£ a month to in hope to rid its inhabitants of famine. I had never seen it in the first degree, the walk through the Low Town had been a real eye opener.

"Don't be silly- it's fine!" I hope I didn't sound as fake as I felt.

The entire space was probably no bigger than the average living room. Apart from the tiny washroom that was to the far right, it was of an open plan layout. The kitchen had a metal sink, stove and a small area to prepare food. Pans and larger cooking utensils hung from the low ceiling in order to conserve space. A stunted round wooden table sat to the left of the kitchen. It reminded me of a Japanese dining table, as there were no chairs, just large cushions. The bedroom was to the far left. There was no bed, just so many different lengths of silk and satin material, laid on the floorboards. Cushions of all sizes and colours where scattered upon it like an Arabian bed.

Penelo went to a petite pantry to load some jars of sun dried goods that Migelo had given her. The cupboard was brimming with all imaginable foodstuffs. No doubt all were donated by the generous Bangaa.

"Anyone hungry?" She chirped.

"Starved." Said Vaan as he entered and slammed the door close. He drew a hefty iron deadbolt close, to secure it for the night.

"Edie?"

I was too shattered to even think about food but I knew that if I went to bed early, I would be ignoring their hospitality. I followed Vaan's actions. I removed my shoulder bag and sat at the little table.

"Sure."

Seems as it was so late when we had finished tidying the shop for tomorrow's shift, Penelo prepared a simple cold platter of meats and cheese. She served it with olive oil, bread and a light red wine.

"So why were you running?" Vaan asked, unexpectedly, in between mouthfuls of thick-crusted bread.

"Me?" I replied dumbly, slightly take aback that he was actually decided to strike up a conversation with me.

"I was talkin' to some of the venders at the Bazaar. They said you took off like you had a Behemoth on your tail."

"I was trying to catch my dog. He just ran off.."

"How did you know it was yours if you can't remember anything?" He probed.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. His jaw was still moving in the midst of devouring the tough bread.

"He's the only thing do I remember.. I think if I get him back I might be able to regain my memory."

"How's that gonna work?"

"If he's the only thing I remember, surely his presence will help jog my memory."

Penelo removed her tumbler of wine from where it had been hovering at her lips for some time. Her thoughtful look still remained when she spoke,

"I hope it works. It must be awful not to remember what's happened to you or where you were going. It's like being completely lost."

Shortly afterwards, the three of us settled for the night. I removed my boots. My feet were swollen and dotted with patches of blisters at the heel and sides. I hoped I would be able to cram them back in tomorrow. I lay at the right side of the makeshift bed. Vaan slept on the left, near the wall and Penelo in between us. As I waited for sleep to claim my weary body, many thoughts bustled through my mind. Thoughts of how I came to be here plagued me yet again. Thoughts of how I would return mixed with them in a churn of apprehension.

_Oh god, please. Please let this be a dream. Please let me wake up in my big, comfortable bed, next to a sleeping Jorge… Please._

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think so far.


	3. Chapter III

Author's Notes

Ok, I've change these two over. Hopefully there's no confusion now!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter III: Tick of Time.**

My plea went unheard. I awoke the next morning amidst the silk sheets and cushions, next to Penelo and Vaan.

That morning, I had wondered from the route to Migelo's and found myself back at the alleyway. I stood before the door with plum material. Its ragged bottom corner fluttered forward slightly in the breeze, in a tempting dance. Although it didn't move enough to actually reveal what was behind it but still enough to rouse interest. It was teasing me. _Do it quick, like ripping a plaster off._ I seized the material and yanked it aside, like you would draw back a curtain. My hopes melted into the pit of my stomach in one thick gulp. There were only crates behind it. I allowed the light material to slip from my grasp. It fell back into its original place, concealing the storage room's innards once more.

Defeated, I turned to leave. It was then that I noticed it. A strange, wispy, haze. It began to creep in from the opposite end of the alleyway, as if stalking me. There were so many subtle hues in its ghostly swirls: sea greens, royal blues, and somber greys. I had seen it only once before during my stay here. Last night.

"_-That's why there are so many people living down here. The Imperials say it's all for public safety but I think they just want to sweep us all under the rug… Edie?" _

_I had been listening intently when Penelo had begun explaining about the Low Town. However, whilst we walked through the constricted tunnels, we pasted a wrought iron door. The door itself was nothing out of the ordinary. What held me captivated was the strange haze that was seeping from it. It looked as if a sea of spectres were attempting to escape. _

"_Where does that door go?"_

"_Hmm? That leads to the waterways but you don't want to go down there. There's rats the size of Moogles down there!" _

I had assumed the eerie mist was probably due to humidity, yet now seeing it in the clear sunlight, I quickly cast aside my previous belief. I was frightened by how swiftly the haze had flooded the alleyway, yet I was curious as to what it would feel like being engulfed in it. Any normal person probably would have bolted but me being me, I turned to face the fog instead. Perhaps this strange entity could even be my escape route to back home.

In that moment I was consumed by the mist. As I had expected, it was cool. It instantly relieved me of the sweltering heat that was making my skin tight. The colours intertwined playfully around my outstretched fingers. It wasn't wet, like regular mist but it still had that smell of damp grass, soil and stone. _Take me home._

It ignored my request and leisurely drifted on. I stood watching it diffuse among the unwary citizens in the Murthru Bazaar. _The more time I spend here, the more confusing this place gets!_ I inwardly grumbled and slowly walked to the Bazaar. I could only manage to walk in this slow shuffle due to my boots rubbing against the blisters I had gained yesterday. I would have to find some shoes that were a little more foot friendly and soon.

The rustling sound up ahead seemed almost deafening in the lull of the alleyway. It caused my head to snap up from the looking at my boots. Something was rummaging around in the piles of dilapidated cardboard boxes that were slumped against the wall.

"Kaiser?" I approached, hesitantly. The movement paused briefly before continuing. It probably was him. He could be so disobedient at times. I delved my hands into the mountain of cardboard in search for his thick fur. My hands soon brushed against it. I seized it in a firm grip and yanked him out of his place of hiding. "There you –argh!"

"Do you mind?" Spat the Moogle who wriggled free from my grasp in one swift jerk. He quickly proceeded to smooth down the titanium white fur I had disturbed when I had pawed him.

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were my dog. Are you okay?"

"I assure you, this isn't the first time I've been roughed up by a Hume."

"Oh.. Well, what were you doing rummaging around in there?"

"My time piece, Kupo. I dropped it and it rolled along into this rubbish heap. Really, somebody should tidy away this mess." He now patted down his tiny outfit. Each pat dispersed small puffs of dust. I couldn't see his paws due to his sleeves being exaggeratedly long. I resisted the urge to help him brush himself down- he was so adorable!

"Did you find it?"

"No, you grabbed me before I could finish searching for it."

"Here, let me look for it." I plunged my hands I into the moulding cardboard and groped around for the pocket watch. I shuddered to think what my fingers might brush against. _I wonder if they have cockroaches in this world._ Eventually my hands ran over something that felt different to the slime of soggy cardboard. It was cool and smooth. Plucking it from the bowels of the rubbish heap, I marvelled at how small the pocket-watch was. It was like a toy, a miniature replica of the real thing. Before returning it to its owner, I wiped the grime off its silver form using the hem of my dress.

"There, good as new."

"Kupo, many thanks." He squeaked accepting the watch with a small bow of his head. He returned it to his waistcoat pocket before saying, "Now what was it you were in search of, my dear?"

"My dog.. He's called Kaiser. He's fairly big and has a black coat."

"Hmm, not many civilians here keep dogs. They're too much akin to the desert wolves."

"Oh, he isn't vicious! He's just a little boisterous."

"I think it would be best if you report his disappearance to the Imperial guards. They will look for him for you, yet not without a fee. They may have come across him already."

"Really?"

"It is a rarity to see a domestic dog roam the streets of Rabanastre. I'm sure one of them must have seen him by now."

"Thanks."

"Not at all, kupo. One good deed deserves another."

I thanked him again and exited the alleyway into the Murthru Bazaar. There were always guards on duty there due to the market being constantly busy. According to Vaan, it was a place that was renowned for pickpockets and thieves. I approached one of them. Many people were quick to tell about what brutes the guards could be. The guard did indeed look intimidating in his full body armour. Even his posture conveyed a strong sense discipline.

"Excuse me..?" I peered up at him. Most of his face was obscured by his helmet.

"Yeah, what is it?" He replied impatiently in a twang that was very similar to a Cockney accent.

"I'd like to report something missing." He sighed and retrieved a bounded bundle of papers from a pouch that hung next to his sword.

"Very well, what item are you missing?" He queried, quill posed in his gloved hand.

"My dog."

"A dog? Listen love, if your havin' a laugh I'll throw you in the dungeons for time wasting."

"I'm not, I swear! I'm missing my dog."

"Fine. What's he look like?"

"He's a cross between a German Shepherd and a Husky."

"A what? What's a _Husky_?" He narrowed his eyes warningly. It dawned on me that the breeds of dogs were probably given different names to the ones we used back home.

"Erm.. Never mind, he's of a big build and has a thick black coat."

"And from when has he been missing?"

"Since yesterday."

"10th Jul'io."

"Anything else?"

"He's called Kaiser, he may be hard to catch, he's fast."

"Ok, take this and got to the upper-class district, there you'll need to find the Archadian offices in the one of the parliament houses and register it." He thrust forward a sheet of paper that he had noted all the information on. I hastily thanked him and moved on. The melodic chiming of the palace bells informed me that I was over an hour late for work.

* * *

"There you are. I thought you might have run off!" Greeted Penelo. She was wrapping a hefty chunk of cured cheese in brown parchment for a waiting customer.

"Sorry. I was asking around after Kaiser." I moved behind the counter in order not to get under the feet of browsing customers that were milling around like cattle.

"Any luck?"

"Not really. I think I'll have to go and report him missing at the Imperial offices." I held up the paper that the guard had given me.

"You do know that will cost you Gil, don't you?"

"It can't be that much."

"Well, I think the average cost is about 200 Gil."

"200 Gil?" My head felt heavy, I decided to give in and allow it to droop down. There was no way I could afford such a cost. I still had to pay Penelo for the desert fruit I had destroyed yesterday.

* * *

Penelo gave the wrapped goods to her customer and turned to notice the older girl's downcast demeanour. She couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy radiate through her. The poor girl had lost seemingly everything. Loss was a universal theme that had claimed Dalmasca and its people since the war. Many of its civilian's, including Penelo, could write a list as long as a Wild Saurian's tail of what they had been robbed of. The only way she knew how to deal with the emptiness it brings was to keep busy and focus on something more positive, no matter how small it may be. She would have to teach this method to her new friend before the girl lost all hope.

* * *

It was hard to gage how many hours I had been in the store room. Due to it not having any windows you couldn't see the shift in natural light. There wasn't even a clock to glance up at. Mind you, it would be a struggle to find a place to hang it. Migelo had come and gone twice now, always taking a few minutes to speak with me and see how I was fairing in my task. The second time he even fetched me some spice cake to snack on.

"How's it going in there?" Came Penelo's girlish voice from the doorway. I turned to see she had ducked her head in.

"Not bad, I'm about half-way through now." I moved towards her, deciding to take a breather from logging down spices.

"Why have you taken your boots off?"

"My feet hurt from all the running around I did yesterday."

Penelo glances down at my feet. I watched her eyes trace over the blisters that had spread like an angry rash. The majority of them had burst leaving behind deep holes of raw flesh.

"That looks terrible!" She winced "Don't worry the shop sells a balm that heals shallow wounds. It should stop them from hurting and from getting infected." She briefly disappeared back to the shop's main floor and returned with a small sealed pot. "It's made from dry cactus rind." She informed, handing it over.

"Shouldn't I ask Migelo before I take it?"

"Don't be silly! He keeps a tab for employees, though he hardly ever charges us for all the stuff we log."

"Well if you're sure he won't mind…" I hobbled over to my shoulder bag and stuffed it inside.

"We should get you some new shoes as well, those ones are just… strange and their obviously not doing your feet any good."

A smile twitched at my lips. _How could anyone who dresses like _that_ think my boots are bizarre!_

After we finished our shift it was straight the Murthru Bazaar. I would have rather gone straight back the apartment so that I could apply balm to my frazzled feet. I kept close to Penelo, who was unfazed by the frenzy of it all. She meandered along, browsing the stalls at her own leisure. It was as if she wasn't even aware of the bulky Seeqs barging past or the Bangaas growling about their competitive prices. I on the other hand was dodging, ducking and diving out of the way of others. Even Humes came across as gruff when I stumbled into them or stepped on their toes.

Eventually, Penelo halted unexpectedly, causing me to bump into her back. She turned to a stall that sold an array of leather footwear.

"'Afternoon Senga." She greeted cheerfully to a stout, middle-aged woman.

"Let me guess, Vaan's worn the soles of his shoes out running away from the guards again." She chuckled, hoarsely.

"Not yet. I need some sandals for my friend here." She gestured in my direction. Senga's beady eyes darted over my form. She reminded me of a sparrow. She had no neck, a big chest that hung down over her swollen stomach and short, skinny legs. "Ain't you a pretty one? What's your name, lass?"

"Edie." I said, feeling heat spread through my cheeks at her blunt complement.

"I bet Vaan's thought all his birthday's have come at once with you two living with him."

"Not exactly, you know how difficult he can be." Sighed Penelo as she picked up a pair of shoes and inspected them.

"Well, let's see what I've got for you." With that, Senga began to dig around behind the stall and pull out pair after pair of sandals. All of them were beautifully crafted in stained leather. The most popular design was similar to a gladiator sandal. I had seen countless women wearing them in the short time I had been in Rabanastre. I chose a pair that's weaving of straps stopped just below the knee in a dark brown shade.

"Perfect, they should be much more comfortable than those boots." Said Penelo admiring the sandals I had picked out. "Show Senga your boots." Then she said to Senga, "I don't know how she walks in them."

I complied and lifted one of my legs so the she could see what Penelo was referring to. The old woman leaned forward as much as her stomach would allow her to.

"What are those?" She exclaimed, fishing a small pair of wire spectacles from her tatty work apron. They magnified her eyes, causing her now to resemble more of a bug than a bird. She ran her fingers over the boots long heel "They look like a Vierian shoe by the style of the heel. It's too high for a Hume to walk comfortably in."

"Really?" Penelo had now lost interest in the sandals.

"It's only comfortable for a Viera due to them having high arches to their feet, or so I've read." She released my heel and looked up at me, "I'll buy them off you."

"You want my boots…?"

"They're of a good craftsmanship and designed to fit a Hume's foot. Whoever made them wasn't without imagination. I'll give you 150 Gil for 'em."

The prospect of such and amount of Gil was tempting. I dithered for a moment or two. I loved my boots, they were black suede and of a Victorian style with a thin stiletto heel. Jorge had bought them for me last year when we went up to Barcelona as an early Christmas present. He knew my weakness for shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti.

"Sorry…" I said shaking my head "I can't sell them."

* * *

Please let me know what you think! A big thank you to everyone who's already reviewed or added this story to their favourites or are keeping tabs on it with story alerts. I really appreciate it!


	4. Chapter IV

Author's notes

Thank you so much for your reviews! As an early Christmas present I'm going to be uploading chapters as soon as I've edited them so keep an eye on your story alerts! :)

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter IV: So pass me by, I'll be fine. Just give me time.**

"You see, the salt not only flavours the meat, it cooks it." Informed Migelo.

I followed him up the winding, wrought iron stairs. Long, fresh cuts of meat were draped over my outstretched arms. I had to ascend a few paces behind him as I didn't want his tail to hit me in the face. A light desert breeze pushed my hair back from my face, I sighed gratefully in relief. Even though the sun was dawdling in its rise, the air was already muggy.

Finally, the flight of steps gave way to a sizable roof terrace. I cast a quick glance behind so I could admire the flight of stairs from a bird's eye view. Its structure was similar to the swirl of a snail's shell. "Come. Bring the Wild Saurian meat over here."

I snapped out of my daze and moved across the terracotta tiles to where he stood. He laid out a length of thick, beige tarp, smoothing out any ridges with his nimble claws. He then placed a granite weight at each corner of the material, to stop the breeze from disturbing its placement. One by one he picked the hefty cuts of meat from my arms and placed them on the tarp, laying them skin side up. My arms felt numb when they had been freed of the weight of the meat.

He waddled over to a decorative brass faucet and proceeded to cleanse his palms and claws of any dirt. He instructed me to do likewise.

Next, he scored the meat by carefully slashing it diagonally with a sharp kitchen knife. His head hung low as he bowed over his work. The position looked almost uncomfortable. His movements were graceful and precise, like those of a sushi chief. "Bring forth a bowl of the rock salt."

I obeyed and fetched some from a barrel that was as high as my waist. There were others lined up beside it. Each contained different types of salts, others spices and herbs that were sold in the shop below. This batch was solely for curing and flavouring the food. I returned to his side and wordlessly handed him the bowl, I was too interested in what he was doing to speak.

He scooped a fair amount of salt up and worked it into the gashes he had made; making sure it was packed in well. He repeated the procedure a few more times before instructing me to take over. I mimicked his technique but my fingers were slow and clumsy. For the first time since I met him, I envied his claws.

Once he had selected a range of different seasonings, he returned to my side and inspected my handy work. "A sound effort is that." He praised. The snippets of dried green herbs were worked into the gashes along with the salt. Then, a pungent, brown spice was dusted on top. He turned each strip of meat and we repeated the method.

"Good. Now they shall be hung in the smoking chamber."

The chamber dwelled at the fair end of the terrace, which was shaded due to grapevines being weaved around the skeleton of a canopy. Their fruit hung low over head, making them easy to pick. Next to the wooden structure was small cubbyhole where wood was stored. Migelo studied it for a moment, probably calculating if there was enough. "What say you to taking a wander up to the Muthru Bazaar to fetch a bundle of smoking wood?"

I paced along a narrow street that linked both of the east and west merchant districts of the city. Even though it was just after dawn break, there was already a crowd to move along with. Whenever I walked, not matter where I was going I would keep an eye out for that familiar black dog. It felt like a lifetime since I had last seen him, when I was chasing him down this very street. I often paused to ask or eavesdrop on other people's conservations in hope his description may pop up. _How long had I been stuck here?_ Long enough to know the names of the streets, the names of the merchants in the Muthru Bazaar and the names of the children in the Low Town. I sighed heavily and plodded on.

The Muthru Bazaar was no longer a daunting place to be. I weaved in and out of the passersby and quickly came to a stall owned by a mild mannered Seeq. It was considered extremely rare for a Seeq to own such qualities, perhaps it was in means for selling his goods to the likes of Humes.

"Mornin'." He grunted, although he was friendlier than most of his kind he still had the habit of only speaking in short bursts of speech or monosyllable words. "Want smokin' wood, no?" Many of the merchants quickly associated me with Migelo's team of workers and tended to anticipate what I had come in search for.

"Yes please. One bundle should be enough."

"Migelo making cured Cocktrace meat?"

"No, it's for smoking some Wild Saurian."

"Smoked Saurian? Save five rations. I will buy them."

"Okay."

He bound the dark sticks together with some twine. His hoof-like hands struggled to secure the knot. I would have offered to help, yet I had quickly learnt that the Seeqs were a very proud race. He would see such an offer as an insult.

"3 Gil.. Please" He added the pleasantry as an afterthought. He probably remembered that Humes were an over polite race, always favouring such phrases as 'Please', 'thank you' and 'excuse me,' in their exchanges.

I traded the three copper coins for the bundle of wood. As I did, a young boy pushed past me. His messy crop of brown hair caught my attention. I thanked the Seeq and quickly set off after him.

"Kytes!" I caught up with him and hitched the wood up further so that it rest more comfortably, nestled on my hip.

"Oh.. Hey, Edie." His greeting wasn't as enthusiastic as it should have been for a boy of his age. I knew why he wasn't thrilled to see me.

"Well? Have you seen him?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets before saying,

"Nope, ain't seen him in days. Maybe the Archadian guards finally caught him."

"Don't be silly! He could out run those bucket heads any day."

"Edie, I'm not sure if I should keep looking for your dog. I mean it's taking up a lot of time and I don't want it to distract be from my work at Migelo's." He said. That was no doubt his way of saying he was bored of the mission I had given him. He had learnt from Vaan that people were willing to stop pestering you to do something if you mentioned it was distracting you from work. _Bloody Vaan._

"Oh come on! You said it was fun, like being a detective."

"Yeah, but I'm kinda tired of playing detective. Plus he's really hard to catch."

"I'll double the reward." His head snapped up from examining the scuff on his shin. A smile quickly formed on his face.

"Really?"

"Yep. Two weeks pay."

"Whoa! He must be really special to you."

"He is. Maybe you can rope Filo or Sir Vaan Ratsbane himself into helping you."

He nodded. With his enthusiasm once more rekindled, he raced off. He was probably already planning on how to spend his promised fortune.

I made my way back to the shop. As I strode onwards, my eyes spotted a familiar face among the humdrum of people heading in the opposite direction. She hadn't noticed me yet. As I neared I saw she looked flustered, her expression caused a small line to appear on her forehead, just below her wispy fringe.

"You know, if you carry on frowning like that you're gonna look like an old hag by the time you're twenty." I teased. Her head jerked up from a scrap of paper she had been scrutinizing. I waited for her to playfully retort with something along the lines of, 'Oh, so _that's_ what happened to your face!' But instead, Penelo dropped a verbal bomb,

"We're in trouble. The rent's gone up."

"What?" I exclaimed loud enough to cause heads to turn. I placed the smoking wood on the ground, propping it up against my leg and outstretched my hand for the paper. Its message was scrawled in the childlike penmanship of a Seeq.

"I found it this morning tacked to the door."

'_Tenants,_

_Taxes and the price of living have been forever increasing since the Archadians took over. I'm increasing the price of rent. You must now pay 750 Gil a month. Failure to make payments will result in evection._

_Bag'l.'_

"Seven hundred and fifty Gil! That Seeq is having a laugh!" I growled, wrinkling my nose in disgust.

"I know, we barely make enough Gil for rent and food as it is.. Oh what are we going to do? What if we can't pay it by next month? Do you really think he'd kick us out?" Penelo was on teetering on the verge of tears. Her habitual happy-go-lucky charm had seeped from her being into the cobbles. Her face was scrunched up in a personification of fret. It didn't suit her. I had never seen her so upset and it put me on edge.

Despite Penelo being 5 years younger than me, she had taken me under her wing and shown me the ropes of Rabanastre. From where you could get a good meal to how to sneak past Archadian guards (although this was only done on very rare occasions). She even informed me about the war and the different races there were in Ivalice. Without her I would have truly been lost so I was damned if I was going to let this smear of bad news crush her spirit.

"Tell you what, I've got to take this smoking wood back to Migelo's and help him hang the Saurian meat but after that I'm free for the rest of the day. So, what we'll do is split up and ask for work in some of the taverns and shops."

"Do you really think they'll employ us?"

"Of course! We work at Migelo's Sundries, the busiest shop in the eastern merchant district!" I enthused, a little too loudly. "How about we job hunt for two hours and meet in the Sandsea to either celebrate or drown our sorrows, eh?"

"Sounds like a plan." Her customary smile graced her youthful face once more. I felt slightly better myself.

"Nope. Sorry Edie, I'll tell you what I told Penelo: I can't hire anymore staff. It's hard enough to scrape the money together to pay my existing ones." Said Yurgi, apologetically. He noticed my disheartened face and decided to explain some more, "It's just ever since the Archadian guards came our taxes have been paying their wages. People are more interested in saving money to pay taxes than buying luxuries. It's been like this for nearly two years now, another year more and I may be out of business."

"So Dalmasca is kind of in an economic slump?" I mused.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it. Listen, I'm real sorry, for what it's worth under any other circumstance I'd hire you and Penelo in a heartbeat. You girls are always hard at work. Your work pace could rival the Moogles'."

"Now you're just talking nonsense!" I light-heartedly brushed off his complement.

It was strange. I worked exactly the same as I did back home. I had the same enthusiasm and resourcefulness, and here people we're quick to admire and praise such traits. At Nine my efforts went unappreciated. "Well, thanks anyway." I turned to leave.

"Good luck."

"You too."

I left Yurgi's Magicks and walked over to the Sandsea. My two hours of job hunting was now up. I hoped Penelo had faired better. My boots moved across the cobbles with more ease now. I had snapped the heel off and stretched the sole so that I could walk more comfortably in them. Now they had the appearance of an elfin boot. I had also swapped my dark blue dress for one that was made of a light cheesecloth material. Over this I wore a small waist coat that was fashioned from lightweight decorative metals. No longer did the citizens of Dalmasca give me lingering looks of intrigue as I had now successfully blended into their crowd.

Walking into the tavern was as if walking into a fog of chaos. Voices were raised in drunken conversations and the occasional ruckus of a wineglass being knocked over assaulted the ears. There was a scent to the place that took me back to the pubs in England. The smell of spilt beer, cigarette smoke, damp beer mats and wood. After my eyes adjusted to the dim and smoke I found Penelo. She was sat slightly hunched at one of the chunky wooden tables.

"Hey." I greeted and sat down opposite her. "Any luck?"

"No. No one was interested." She sighed. "You?"

"Same."

"I guess we'll be drowning our sorrows then."

"Or hatching a plan- my mind works better when I'm half drunk."

Time seeped by as we waited to be served. Although the lower floor of the Sandsea wasn't at its busiest, the balcony area was teeming with off-duty Archadian guards.

"Hey girls. This is a surprise to see you two in here so early." Said Tomaj, the owner of the Sandsea.

I bit my lip in order to stop a fit of giggles that was bubbling up from my stomach. _Why was the all high and mighty entrepreneur, Tomaj wearing a waiter's pinafore? I thought his kind didn't do manual labour. _

"You gonna take our order then?" My voice was strained in effort to stop a stray gurgle of laughter spilling from my lips. He noticed and rolled his brown eyes.

"Amused are we? I'm only doing this because I'm understaffed. There are so many of those Archadian rats up on the balcony that they've become my only paying clientele."

_Ah, how God works in mysterious ways. _

"So you don't want to be a waiter to the likes of them?"

"Are you soft in the head girl? I'm only wearing this damn rag because my two waitresses are stretched to the limit, trying to meet their lavish demands." He snapped. It wasn't uncommon for Tomaj to be curt or even rude to his clients. He knew his competitive prices and good quality grub would keep them coming. However, currently it was obvious what the source of his short-temper was.

"So you could use some extra staff?"

"Why? You offering?"

"If the pay's good enough."

"I'll pay you the same wage as what Migelo gives you."

I glanced over at Penelo to see if she approved, she gave the slightest of nods.

"Deal."

"Great!" He beamed and removed the pinafore. His previous tetchiness had magically disappeared. "Come on! Off to work with the two of you!"

"Hold on a minute. What about our drinks?" Penelo questioned.

"You women are supposed to be the skilled in the art of multitasking. You can drink while you're filling a thousand ale tankards."

Why did I suddenly feel like Tomaj had planned this whole spontaneous employment?

* * *

Please let me know what you think! A big thank you to everyone who's already reviewed or added this story to their favourites or are keeping tabs on it with story alerts. I really appreciate it!


	5. Chapter V

Author's Notes

As promised, I'll be uploading chapters as soon as I've finished editing over the xmas period. Also, thank you to Katreda who suggested to give a translation to any dialogue I write in Spanish. I totally forgot about that! I will be including more Spanish dialogue in the future, so if it's just the odd phrase I'll put the translation aside in brackets. If it's an entire conversation I'll put the translation in the footnotes at the bottom.

Disclaimer

I don't own FFXII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter V: You've got to pick a pocket or two**

I chopped a wild onion in half. The eye-watering toxin cast about the hot air in untraceable tendrils. They snaked upwards, attacking my eyes. I proceeded to blink and rub at them with the back of my wrist, all the while cursing. When I recovered somewhat from the vegetable's passive onslaught I began to dice its meat.

"Vaan! You can't go in there, she's working! How many times have I told you not to pester the girls when they're at work?"

A clatter of a tray hitting the tiles echoed and accompanied Tomaj's irritated tone down the passageway to the kitchen.

"I need to speak with her, just for a minute. I promise I'll be quick." His voice was nearer now. No doubt he'd dodged past the surly landlord.

The kitchen door swung open and he sauntered in his usual blasé manner, as if the whole scuffle outside had never occurred.

"What it is now, Vaan?" I questioned, not bothering to raise my eyes from the chopping board. He came and stood by my side, his hip resting against the granite worktop. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash as his fingers darted out and palmed a tomato. "Hey! I saw that!" I turn to face him properly, my knife still in hand. "I heard that the ancients cut off the fingers of thieves as a punishment for stealing." I waggled the knife's handle so that it moved back and forth. The light ricocheted off the blade. "You don't want to put that back into circulation, do you know?"

He took a generous bite of the tomato and laughed at my implied threat.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble."

"That'd be a first." I placed my focus back on my work, leisurely chopping the vegetables before asking, "So, what do you want?"

"I've found another job for you and Penelo."

"Don't you think three jobs are a bit much? Why don't you take it, you never do any extra work anyway."

"That's not true! I've been running errands for Old Dalan. Besides, it's not the kind of work I can do."

"Really?"

"The Boscobel Oak, that theatre in the upper-class district, it's looking for entertainment to keep the Archadians flocking there."

"And what does 'entertainment' involve?"

"Performers singing and dancing to Dalmascan folk songs."

"Sorry, I've got two left feet." I said dismissively

"Yeah but you can hold a note." I whipped round, my eyes narrowing with distrust before slowly questioning,

"And how do you know that?"

"You sing when you're in the washroom." He stated with a shrug, as if it were common knowledge. It was true; I did have a good voice, nothing worthy of stardom but good nonetheless. It earned me what little popularity I had when I was in secondary school. Since then I'd only sing on the rare occasions when I was alone- or at least when I thought I was alone.

"Even if I can sing, I don't know any Dalmascan folk songs."

"I asked Old Dalan and he'd said he'd teach you how to sing and play the dejembe drum."

"A drum?"

"All of Dalmascan folk songs are sung to a dejembe drum. Don't worry, I heard any idiot can play it."

"Then perhaps you should learn how to play one?" I waited patiently for his retort, but it never came. Now I was intrigued. Vaan never missed the chance to engage in verbal warfare with me. "What are you up to? Why didn't you go to Penelo and ask her first, like you normally do?" I leaned closer in an attempt at being threatening. I stared at him warningly as if knowledgeable of his secret and his feeding me half-truths would be awarded with ruthless results. We were the same height.

He brushed off my penetrative gaze with a roll of his eyes and took another bite of the tomato. He chewed half-heartedly, before pushing the fleshy meat aside with his tongue and saying,

"Because if she finds out the real reason behind this whole thing she'll kill me." He swallowed the contents of his mouth. "The pay isn't too shabby, 250 Gil for the night. But that's not what I'm interested in. What I want is for you and Penelo to distract those Archadian lackeys long enough for me to make off with their wallets."

"Oh for god's sake Vaan!" It came out in one long sigh, pushed from the depths of my lungs. "There's no way you're gonna be able to pickpocket a room full of guards."

"Wanna bet?" He retrieved three coin sacks from a satchel that hung from his belt. They dandled from his clenched hand. He shoved them forward, proudly as if they were game kills. "These are just the ones I swiped on the way here. I'm getting good- real good. Come on, Edie, just think we'd make a thousand Gil, easy!"

In that instant he reminded me of Joel, my younger brother. Though not in appearance, Joel was a wall of a boy, tall and stocky. He'd always have these get rich quick schemes that were no doubt hatched when watching too much of TV shows like 'Dragon's Den' and 'The Apprentice'. He'd always try and drag me along for the ride; mainly because big sis was earning big money in the shop she worked at. My mum, who was forever patient with his outlandish ideas, often said, 'That boy will either be a millionaire or a homeless man.' It was true, he was never interested in that safe middle ground that was average.

"Fine." I said my voice thick at the memory of my little brother "But if you get caught you're on your own."

"I knew you'd agree!" He grinned triumphantly, however his look of glee soon fled as a thought popped into his head. "Listen, don't tell Penelo. This is between you and me, okay?"

"Don't you think she'll get suspicious about the amount of money we supposedly earned?"

"It's a high-end gig, those places always pay through the nose."

It would be nice to not have to worry about paying the rent for a while. With all that extra money around, maybe Penelo and I could go to the public baths again, like we used to. I could finally by a clip for my hair instead of tying it back with a grubby length of material for work. I gave a brief nod and went back to chopping vegetables.

"We're done here Vaan."

"I know that." He said and stole another tomato. He munched on it as he wandered out of the kitchen.

* * *

_Old Dalan had noticed from the moment I uttered my first words to him that I was not from Dalmasca. _

"_You speak as if your tongue is stuck to your teeth, girl. A trait of a Rozzarian."_

"_A Rozzarian?" Asked Vaan in disbelief. _

"_An accent she has not, yet her tongue is accustomed to their speech. It will prove difficult to teach her the lyrics."_

"_Great." He mumbled. _

_I was unsure what bothered him the most. The time it would take to teach me the songs or the fact that he'd just found out I was supposedly akin to one of the regions that were at war. _

"No, no no. You must not roll the _R_!" Interrupted Old Dalan. "If you do the word changes its meaning."

I had been learning for a week now, in between by shifts at Migelo's and the Sandsea. I practically lived with the old man. I paused in my no doubt slapdash performance, my fingers resting on the taut drum skin. The song's melody was easy enough it was just the archaic tongue it was sung in that I struggled with. I repeated the word, trying not to roll the _R_ with my tongue so much.

"Better but there are still means for improvement. It's fortunate that you sing like a canary, otherwise we'd be here for an eternity, and an eternity I have not."

He raised his hand from where it lay, on top of a docile Giza rabbit in a gesture for me to continue. My hands began to beat the drum in the now overly familiar rhythm. The dejembe drum had been surprisingly easy to learn. The songs always were sung to the same tempo, allowing the bespoke melody to weave among it. Now that the rhythm had been set my voice rose above its beat. The words were difficult, pretentious almost, like a Shakespearian dialogue but I pushed them out nonetheless.

I managed to get through the whole song without him stopping me. With the dingy living quarters now flooded with silence, I nervously awaited his approval. His already creviced forehead, wrinkled further in a pensive look. I shift my weight. The dejembe drum was strapped to my hip, its length rested heavily against my leg, sending it numb after hours of practice. A cloud of painful warmth stretched across my palms. Surely now I had finally been able to pronounce the lyrics right. _Oh come on! You're not bloody Simon Cowell!_ I internally snapped, becoming impatient with this crushing silence. A few seconds later, he scratched his chin that was cloaked by a lengthy white beard and said,

"We can only pray that the merriment rooted by cheap ale will cloud their judgment… and clog their ears."

* * *

In the upper-class district, the constricted streets opened up into wide promenades. Here, the buildings were grander on every scale. Most were offices of the parliament but there were still the odd few nobles who were able to keep their extravagant homes.

The palace loomed ahead as we approached the Boscobel Oak. Turns out, it neighbours the Royal Boulevard. The majestic stretch of street that Princess Ashelia B'nargina and Lord Raslar Heios of Nabradia paraded down on the day of their wedding. I had stumbled into Rabanastre in the aftermath of Dalmasca's part in the war, however many representations had been painted depicting that tremendous wedding day. Those, of course, were later confiscated by the Archadian Empire. As we passed the mouth of the boulevard, I peered to see the large space was inharmoniously still.

"About time!" The owner of the theatre grumpily greeted us. He was a barrel of a man, as tall as he was wide. "Which of the women might this be- the songstress or the dancer?"

His hooded eyes wandered lazily over my form. I shot him a look of disdain.

"The singer." Replied Vaan

"Hmm, she'll do well. I pray the other one is just as fine."

"I thought it was my voice the audience came for, not my looks." I snipped, irritated by his leering.

"With that rabble, the performers must be well endowed and not only in their talents!" He chuckled before waddling through the theatre's mammoth doors, "Come, I will show you your stage."

The oversized doors betrayed expectations of a stately theatre with balconies and box seats. Instead they lead to a smaller setting. The stage was set in the centre. It was a circle of rosewood floor. From it rose the rows of seats, they surrounded it, making the whole space look like a funnel. It was so dissimilar to the traditional theatres I had been to. Now I understood the importance of the performers' appearance, as the setting was quite intimate. I could also see why Vaan wanted to go through with this heist.

The seats rose up in tiers. There were no more than twelve. The circle of seats was occasionally broken up by a flight of steps placed in order to reach the required tier. They were raised from the ground by sturdy beams of stained oak. This meant a person could walk under them with ease. All Vaan would have to do is carefully pluck each dangling coin sack, as if it were ripe fruit.

Even if he was caught red handed by an audience member, escape would be simple. A bottleneck effect would occur if the guards all rushed for him at once. This was due to there only being three staircases. They would be sitting ducks, just waiting to be robbed.

"Wow." I murmured once we stood on the stage. It was an impressive set-up.

"It's a fairly standard procedure. Your dressing room is over yonder from there you will walk from that entrance to the stage."

"Pay's still the same, right?" Questioned Vaan, folding his arms.

"Of course. The girls might even make extra if they're a hit with the Imperials."

I couldn't help but cringe at how we'd go about earning these extra fees. From the talk thrown around the Low Town, it wasn't a secret that the Archadian guards were fond of girls of the Gil.

* * *

"I don't know…" Said Penelo, her tone high-pitched in doubt. She handed change to a customer she had paused to serve. She then shoved the rusting till shut.

"I'm telling you, the place is fine. I went with Vaan to check it out."

"But performing for Archadians? They're the very ones who are repressing our culture.."

A smile tugged at my lips. _Vaan always thinks about money and sky-pirating and Penelo always considers her principles. The two were like chalk and cheese; it's surprising they're friends! _

"I know. But they're also the only buggers with Gil at the moment. The pay's good, 800 Gil for the night."

She nodded but still had that doubtful look etched on her features. "If you don't want to do it, that's fine. I'll just tell that podgy Hilon van Daught to take a hike!"

"You do come out with some weird sayings." She giggled. "Fine! I'll do it- I haven't danced in ages and we could use the extra Gil."

* * *

Edie!" I whirled round to face Tomaj. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I told you! I'm performing at the Oak tonight."

"I know that.. So, you're just going to leave me chin high in Archadian shit?"

It was hectic. Tomaj had even hired a few more waitresses to help deal with the mob. I sighed. _There's no way he's guilt tripping me into working a minute more. I dragged Penelo into this con and I'm not leaving her to do it alone!_ I chose my approach carefully.

"Any other night I would stay until closing- you know that- but I can't tonight. I'm meant to be meeting Penelo in ten minutes. I can't let her down."

A sombre sigh was emitted from his lips. He looked exhausted. The hollows underneath his eyes were more prominent and the delicate flesh of his waterlines was the hue of raw meat. "I'm sorry, you know? I'll work late tomorrow to make up for it."

"Don't talk daft." His lips formed the slightest of smiles. "Go on, go break a leg!"

"Thanks, Tomaj." I grinned and dashed out of there before he reconsidered.

The streets were softly illuminated by the glow of light crystals that were attached to pillars. My footsteps echoed deafeningly as I ran towards the plaza. There weren't many civilians around due to the curfew the Imperials had set into motion not long after seizing Rabanastre. They claimed it was for public safety. By midnight the normally busy streets would convert into an uncanny representation of a ghost town.

There were exceptions, proprietors and employees of taverns and theatre houses were given the slightly later curfew of 12.30 am due to them having to close their establishments. We would also be pardoned tonight because of our work starting at midnight. An official document had been drawn up for the occasion. It was similar to a hall pass. It read:

'_This civilian of Rabanastre, Edie Navidson, has been issued an extended curfew to the hours of 13.30 of the clock._

_Their engagement takes place at: The Boscobel Oak, Angel'a Boulevard, Upper-class District._

_Date: 15th Sept'ber 267_

_Employer: Hilon van Daught_

_Sighed, the chief of security.'_

It was stamped with the crest of the Archadian Empire in a scarlet ink to prove its authenticity.

I reached the plaza in record time to see Penelo nervously pacing. Her head snapped round when she heard my approach.

"Where have you been?" She said in a tone she favoured to use when scolding Vaan.

"Sorry- Tomaj." I puffed.

"Come on, let's get going before some guards finds us loitering."

We entered the Oak to find Hilon greeting guards that had arrived from finishing their shift.

"Welcome, please go forth, be seated. There are refreshments a plenty, my sirs." He said bowing.

"Huh! Why doesn't he just kiss their boots while he's down there!" Muttered Penelo, her top lip curled in disgust. I fought back a grin. I always forgot how feisty she could be at times such as these.

Hilon straightened when he noticed the two of us watching him. His face rapidly shifted into a look of dread.

"No, no no!" He shouted as he marched over.

He grabbed my elbow and directed us to a door that led to the wings. After Penelo had entered the dressing room, he shut the door and spun round to face me. "She's a minor! I told that boy I needed women, not girls!"

"Oh yeah, why's that?" I questioned raising my eyebrows.

"Because these are _men_ not boys- they want to see women dance." His heavy lidded eyes stared unflinchingly into my own, yet the flare of his gaze was lost on me due to the fact he resembled a Shar Pei.

"So there was no alterative motive for hiring women?"

"Of course not!" He snapped "Where is that gutter child- I want a word with him!"

"He'll be here soon enough."

"Fine. It's too late to change any of this mess now. However, you'll have to wear a more provocative costume to amend this."

"_What?_"I growled through gritted teeth.

"Deaf as well as deceitful? You heard me, would you rather she wears it?"

"_Fine._" I agreed. "Well? Don't you need to go and be a lapdog to those _customers_ of yours?"

"Ridicule me all you want because I'm not the one who has to return to that squat, the Low Town tonight. I earn enough of their money to keep me on Rabanastre's surface." With that said, he sharply turned on his heel and strutted off.

"Capullo (Asshole)." I muttered as I turned and trudged into the changing room.

"Is everything alright?" Asked Penelo.

She was sat in front of the mirror, undoing her plaits and working the odd knot out of it with her slim fingers.

"Yeah, we were just talking about payment." I didn't often lie to her (well, except for the whole, 'I have amnesia but really I come from another world' fib). I only did this time so it wouldn't affect her nerves. The last thing you want to find out before going onto a stage is that you're not wanted there.

I glanced at the costumes. It was obvious which was mine. _Bastard probably planned it all along._

* * *

As always, I'd love to know what you think!


	6. Chapter VI

Author's Notes

Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad you guys are enjoying read it as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

I don't take credit for the lyrics that are in this chapter. It is a translated verse from an ancient Chinese poem (I'm not sure what period). It was used in the Wuxia film, House of Flying Daggers.

* * *

**Chapter VI: We sing, we dance, we steal things.**

We changed and began to beautify ourselves. It felt like years since I had put on make-up. Luckily, I had been so accustom to wearing it every day that my fingers went about skilfully applying it as if on auto-pilot. Penelo, on the other hand, hadn't a clue. She gazed at the strange implements as if they would bite her if she attempted to pick one up. Eventually, after intently watching my movements for a minute or two she plucked a stick of kohl up from the dressing table. It wasn't long before she let out a groan in frustration.

"Here, I'll do it." I took the kohl stick from her and went about lightly applying it. Her pale, soft features wouldn't have suited a harsh smudge of kohl surrounding her eyes. She'd look ill and washed-out.

"All done!" I announced before returning back to painting my own face.

She turned to inspect my handiwork in the mirror.

"You should travel to Archades. The noble women there love to make themselves up. You'd earn a lot of money pampering them."

"What, and leave you to deal with Vaan on your own? I think not!"

She chuckled and returned her attention back to brushing her hair with a fine comb made from hyena horn. She looked different with her hair down and her face made-up, almost unrecognizable. I dabbed some red lip stain onto my lips. "Finished." I stood up from the padded stool.

"That outfit doesn't.. um cover much."

I glanced in the mirror at my stage costume. It was similar to a belly dancer's outfit. The baggy, Arabian-esque trousers were fashioned from lightweight gauze in a burnt orange shade. Its fine material was almost transparent, showing off the shadow of my silhouette and more embarrassingly, my underwear. A belt was fastened at the hips so that I could attach the dejembe drum to it. It was a thick strip of hide, adorned with plates of gold that were cut into intricate patterns. The only other item that covered my modesty was a heavy, bronzed breast plate. It was obviously designed solely for beautification of the female form as it was incredibly uncomfortable. It was carved out in a plunging sweetheart neckline and owned no straps to hold it up, which was surprising given its weight.

Penelo's costume was similar, however her trousers were fashioned from coloured cheesecloth and she also wore a metal waistcoat to draw attention away from her breast plate. The breast plate itself wasn't as daring in its cut.

A loud rapping on the door interrupted my thoughts. Before I could even move to answer it, it abruptly swung open and in walked Vaan. A dejembe drum was nestled under his arm.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to get this from Dalan's place."

He placed the instrument down and wiped at his forehead with the back of his wrist. He had probably ran all the way here from the Low Town.

"Have you seen Hilon yet?" I questioned.

He turned to face me. It was amusing to see his face shift into a look of bewilderment, it were as if he didn't know me. For a few long minutes he gazed at my scantily clad form, I half expected for his mouth to gape open. "Vaan?" I said slowly, crossing my arms over my chest. He blinked a few times as if he had been awoken from some profound state of Zen.

"Huh? Um, no… That outfit doesn't really cover much."

"Well, it seems to have the desired effect that Hilon wanted. It even has Vaan looking!" I exclaimed, shaking my head. Penelo's girlish laughter could be heard behind me. Vaan pulled a face of disapproval to my comment.

"I better go find Hilon and see what he wants." He mumbled before hastily making his escape from our ridiculing. I didn't have the heart to tell him Hilon was baying for his blood. It would be a fitting punishment for him gawping at me.

Penelo was weaving small, delicate flowers into her hair. They were Dalmascan desert flowers. It is said that performers were to wear them as a good luck charm. She aided me to apply a scattering of the white flowers to my own hair. I noticed her fingers tremble as she plucked one from the dressing table.

"Nervous?"

"A bit.. I haven't danced in front of people in a while." Her anxiety was evident in her voice. I moved round on the stool to face her, my head tilted to peer up at her.

"Don't worry, Penelo. You're a natural, you'll do fine."

"How do you know.. You've never seen me dance?" She questioned, puzzled.

"On the rare occasions Vaan actually talks to me, it's always about you. He mentioned, once how good you are at dancing.. He thought it was a shame that you never danced anymore."

A warm smile spread across her face. It seemed her jitters had calmed somewhat.

Another tap at the door. This time Hilon's voice accompanied it.

"Two minutes ladies!"

We were ready. I stood and fastened the dejembe drum to my belt. It leaned heavily against the jaunt of my right hipbone. We had been booked to perform ten songs. Even though after much practice I was accustomed to the weight of the drum I was unsure if I could endure ten songs worth of it whittling down my hipbone.

"Come on, let's go have a look." I said opening the door. Penelo snatched up a delicate blue length of material- her prop for the dance- and followed.

We moved along the dark corridor until we came upon a thick red curtain. The distant noise of enthusiastic chatter was broken up by the jangling of our embellished clothes. I drew it back ever so slightly so I could peek out at the theatre. "Bloody hell, the place is jam packed!" I said, swallowing hard in an attempt to push the butterflies back down into my stomach. I moved so that Penelo could see.

"Where's Vaan?"

"Probably at the bar."

At that moment the lights dimmed, making the glare the stage light all the more brilliant. Hilon appeared in the stage's centre.

"My kind sirs, in thanks for your vigilance and protecting our humble city I have sorted after the finest acts to entertain you. Tonight the city of Rabanastre thanks you in the guise of its finest artisans. I present them to you now!" His stubby arm extended and swept overdramatically across to the entrance where we were spying.

"Let's get this over and done with." I mumbled before shoving the heavy curtain back and strolling out.

Even walking from the wings to the stage had to be a graceful movement. Another necessity that Old Dalan had schooled me in. I had to walk one foot in front of the other with my toes pointed, as if I were on a tightrope. My head held high, shoulders squared and my back ramrod straight. This was almost impossible due to the bout of nerves that were transforming my limbs into jelly.

I stepped onto the stage, Penelo close behind me. We faced opposite ends and bowed to our crowd. I quickly scanned the space in search for Vaan. He was indeed by the bar in his usual stance, hands folded over his chest, leaning his weight against the bar. He executed the briefest of nods. Everything was ready.

I began beating the drum to the now over-familiar tempo of the folk songs. I was revealed somewhat that it muffled my thrashing heart. The light dimmed further and I began to sing.

Penelo moved gracefully on the undersized stage. She used the length of material as if it were an extension of her being, swirling it in elegant movements. It was a shame I had to concentrate so much on the lyrics as I wished I could see her dancing to it. I glanced over at the bar. Vaan had moved. He was now performing his part in this escapade. Although I couldn't see him in the dim I kept a wary eye on Hilon, who was stood near the exit doors. I beat the drum harder, attempting to pound out my apprehension. I was only awarded with the bitter taste of adrenaline seeping into my mouth. I preferred the butterflies. With each song drawing to a close my worry ebbed away with them. Towards the end, I was almost enjoying it, almost.

Out of the ten songs, the very last one was my favourite. Penelo had translated the dated lyrics for me. It told a tale of how a land was so awestruck by a beautiful noble woman, that they lost their kingdom to a war due to them being so distracted by her charms.

_A rare beauty in the North_

_She's the finest lady on earth_

_One glance from her, a city falls_

_A second glance leaves the whole nation in ruins_

_There is no city or nation that has been_

_More cherished than a beauty like this._

It was fitting for this night really, Penelo and I captivated the unsuspecting guards and Vaan robbed them blind.

The lights were once again illuminated and the crowd of Archadians cheered warmly. It was strange seeing them without their helmets on, it made them all the more human. We quickly bowed and made our way to the wings.

"That went pretty well." Enthused Penelo. Once in the dressing room, she moved behind a curtain to change back into her normal attire. "Where'd did Vaan go? One minute he was by the bar, the next he was gone."

"Maybe he went outside to get some air."

"Do you think he was disappointed because I danced for the Archadians?" Her voice was thin with fret. I reached for the clasp that did up my breast plate. I breathed a sigh of relief when I was free from its clutches. It left a painful looking red rim along the tops of my ribs. It had been crushing them so badly I was surprised I had been able to sing. My lungs no longer felt restricted, I took a deep breath to test their new capacity.

"Don't be silly! It was his idea, remember." I dragged my dress over my head and removed the trousers.

"I know.. but maybe he regretted it."

I was about to reassure her that Vaan never had remorse for his actions, no matter how petty they were, when a loud knocking interrupted me.

"Are you decent?" Came Hilon's pompous voice.

"Yes." I called, tugging on my boots. The door opened and he waddled in.

"You were a hit with the Imperials! They adore you! Perhaps you should stay. Many have requested to speak with the two of you."

"Sorry, but if we did that we'd be breaking our curfew."

"I'm certain they would make an exception."

Penelo came out from behind the curtain, her hair was still loose.

"Best not. We have to return to that _squat_, the Low Town." I said. His face shifted into a grimace, "Our Gil?" I outstretched my hand and focused on it to not tremble so much. I just wanted to get out of this place before one of those bucket heads realized they were missing their coin sack.

"Very well, here." He handed me a wad of paper Gil before leaving the dressing room.

* * *

Vaan was waiting outside. His shoulders leaning up against the sandstone wall, his arms folded as usual. He was gazing up at the night sky, enchanted by its smattering of stars. _How could he act so cool when he'd just robbed a room full of guards?_

"Hey!" Penelo greeted. Vaan turn his head, a frown quickly formed. He hadn't really recognized us at first. We still had flowers in our hair and our faces made-up. After some further securitizing as we approached his puckered brow reverted back to normal. "So, did we do well?"

"You did so well, I think we should go to the Sandsea to celebrate."

"But it'll be closed."

"Naw, the Archadians keep giving Tomaj an extension on his after-hours permit. Last orders are about 2 o'clock."

"Alright, why not!"

We quickly made our way from the upper-class district and back into the familiar surroundings of the merchant's district. All the while, we chattered about the performance. Vaan had been right, the Sandsea was still in full swing by the time we reached its doors.

"What are you all doing here so late, you better be careful this lot don't lynch you." Said Tomaj jerking a thumb towards the balcony.

"We're here to celebrate and not work for once!" Said Penelo, sporting that Cheshire cat grin of hers. She seated herself at the bar.

"Life is but fair for some." Muttered Tomaj as we went about playing barkeep to the three of us.

"We should do that again sometime. It was almost fun." Penelo said ignoring her boss' downcast frown. She took a sip of weak wine. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel sorry for poor Tomaj. I hadn't realized his closing hours were so slack. He'd always allowed me to leave early. It was probably because I was still coming down from the high of what we'd just achieved but I inwardly vowed that tomorrow I'd stay late and help him. Feeling content I said,

"Yeah, the money wasn't too bad either. 250 Gil for a couple of hours. It's probably the easiest wage I've made since being here!"

Being the idiot I am, I wasn't aware of the verbal bomb I had just detonated until I noticed Penelo's face shift. A look of incomprehension drifted across her delicate features.

"What do you mean, 250 Gil? I thought we were promised 800 Gil?"

"Yeah but, you know what a bastard that Hilon is. He changed his mind at the last minute." Vaan swiftly attempted amend the damage I had caused, but her face's current look showed no signs of wavering.

"Then why didn't you say anything when he handed you the money, Edie?"

"I…um.." _Dammit!_ I could have hit myself there and then.

"I thought it was strange you and Vaan setting everything up. What have you done?" Despite the venom in her tone, her voice stayed low, as not to draw attention. My head felt like it had the mass of a lead weight. We were busted, there was no point feeding her further fiction.

"We kinda came up with a plan... Me and you would perform and distract the guards so that Vaan could pickpocket them."

"Edie!" Hissed Vaan, infuriated that I had confessed so easily.

"Oh come on, Vaan! She's not dumb!" I was ready for whatever he was going to throw back at me but I hadn't expected Penelo to cut our bickering short.

"I can't believe it!" She abruptly stood up and turned to leave.

"Penelo, let me explain!" Vaan said, grabbing at her arm. She spun round and narrowed her dark eyes at the two of us.

"Now I know why you two don't get along. You're too much alike!" With that said she brushed off Vaan's fingers with a flick of her wrist and was gone.

"You and your big mouth."

"You and your stupid plans!" I bit back, irritated by what my absentmindedness had caused. "She'll never speak to us now.."

* * *

Thanks for reading and as usual keep telling me what you think! :)


	7. Chapter VII

Author's Notes

Happy New year! Hopefully by now everyone's got over their hangovers! It took me ages! Ok, next chapter I'm going to start writing about the fete so we're finally going to start the game's main plot. Also updates may slow down because I've caught up with what I'm currently writing, but I'll try and upload as often as I can.

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter VII: Get out this situation and feel fine.**

"Ah, Edie, there you are." Migelo said, as if he'd just found me in a game of hide-and-seek.

I had been up on the shop's terrace since my shift had started. Penelo was still fuming with me so I had thought it best to gave her some space. To distract myself from feeling like such a jerk, I had been preparing some grapes for making wine.

"The shop wasn't very busy so I thought I'd sort out some things up here."

"I see. Well, perhaps you'd allow me to take over. I have a job for you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"A simple task. There is a shipment of supplies to be retrieved from the nomad village in the Estersands."

It made sense why he'd chosen me for such a task. I was always the first to raise my hand if a job involved leaving the city. This was because I was still relentlessly searching for Kaiser. It was possible that he'd made it past the gates and out into the lands beyond them.

"Okay, how big is the shipment?"

"You'll be in need of a chocobo and a second person to help load it."

_Please don't let it be Penelo, please don't let it be Penelo-_

"Penelo has agreed to accompany you."

* * *

We waded through the fine, golden sand, a large chocobo in between us. Penelo hadn't spoken to me or Vaan since she stormed off last night. The reason I hadn't wanted for her to accompany me was because I hated the charged quiet of the silent treatment she was punishing me with. I had attempted to apologize to her all morning but this just resulted in her jaw to clench tighter. I had decided to stop in case she bit down on her tongue too hard.

The heat was insufferable, only the weakest warm breeze would attempt to relieve us. I squinted towards the horizon, which was nothing more than a blur of heat. My eyes had yet to locate Kaiser. I almost hoped he wasn't in the Estersands as many travellers have told how Wild Saurians can devour a desert wolf in one swift snap of their jaws. I doubted very much that the prehistoric creature could tell the difference between a desert wolf and a domestic dog.

The chocobo spurted forward. It was restless and not interested in keeping its current slow pace. Penelo yanked hard at its rains to slow its trotting once more. I had a firm grip its saddle. _We would have to get the one with rebellious tendencies wouldn't we?_ This whole mission was going to be a barrel of laughs.

Eventually, we reached the nomad's camp. We had to occasionally stop so that packs of wolves wouldn't pick up our scent and come to investigate further. Neither of us was properly equipped to defend ourselves against such an attack. I hadn't a weapon, (to be honest I wouldn't know what to do with one) and Penelo only had a small dagger.

The nomad village was merely a scattering of tepees where travellers who passed by could seek shelter and food before continuing on.

"You must be here to pick up Migelo's shipment." A young man said, rising from where he'd been perched on top of a wooden crate.

"Yes, here's the documentation." Penelo handed him a scroll that had the shipment information and Migelo's distinguishable signature.

"My apologies for not bringing it all the way to Rabanastre. My chocobo befell a terrible sickness, no doubt caught from the wild chocobos in the Ozmone plains. He's too weak to carry such a cargo."

"Don't worry, such things happen. Here, your payment." She handed him a coin sack that was heavy with Gil. He thanked her warmly and returned the scroll.

Loading up the chocobo was a struggle. The damn bird just wouldn't keep still. I pondered if chocobos could develop attention-deficit disorder. Although I wouldn't want to be the one who gave it Ritalin- it had already bitten me once! We secured the sacks of produce with long lengths of rope that were fixed underneath the bird's stomach so he wouldn't be tempted to undo them. After double checking each rope, we moved on.

I offered to take the reins and guide him, seems as Penelo's arm was probably numb from bird's constant tugging on the journey here.

"I…" I didn't really know how to go about apologizing. After all, I had been doing it all morning without success. "I know I should've told Vaan to piss off. Or have told you what we were up to but.. I just thought it would be nice if you didn't have to worry about Gil for once." I ducked under the neck of the chocobo to see her. She was still holding herself rigidly. Her lips pressed together so hard, they formed a perfect straight line.

In that moment, Fidget the chocobo, decided he'd make a break for it while I was distracted. He spurred off in a whirl of ochre feathers and sand, dragging me along with him. I attempted to keep up with his pace, but it proved impossible. My arm felt it was being yanked out of its socket. One by one, my fingers were slipping from the leather reins. At one point I was hanging on to the powerful beast by my pinky alone. My grip slacked and I plummeted to the ground, land face down in the scorching sand. Penelo sprinted past me. She shouted her first words of the day to me,

"Get up! Get up! We've got to catch him!"

I hauled myself up and bolted after her. It was difficult running in the sand. It was similar to wading through water or a thick layer of snow. It wasn't long before I was red in the face and panting heavily. She chased him, attempting to steer him into a cove so that we could ambush him easier. He was a lot brighter than I had anticipated, quickly dodging past us and out manoeuvring our snatches at his reins. However, his energy was short lived. He eventually slowed enough for us to seize him. Penelo grabbed at his reins and I at his feathers. The three of us stood stock still for a moment, the sound of our panting carried off by the gust of winds.

"Why did… you.. let go?" Penelo heaved. Despite being exhausted she still managed to own an irritated tone.

"He.. was too.. fast!"

"Rubbish!... I knew I should.. have come alone!" We were hunched over, hands resting on our knees, our chests heaving but we still managed to narrow our eyes in death stares. We were girls after all.

"You wanna be on your own? Fine! See ya later!"

"That'd be something Vaan would say." She mocked to my turned back. I spun round, my checks flushed with anger.

"I am _not_ like him!" I quickly closed the distance between us so that our faces were inches apart. I was never the confrontational type with other girls. I'd rather shrug off a negative comment than gear up for a cat fight. Something about what she had said irritated me so. It probably affected me more because she of all people had said it. "I only went through with his stupid plan so you could live easy for a couple of weeks!"

We continued to stare at each other with our eyes narrowed into slits. Then suddenly, her lips twitched. She was… smirking! I found my own mask of bitterness cracking into a smile. It wasn't long before we were laughing at each other. The whole argument suddenly seemed so trivial and stupid. We howled until our stomachs ached.

"You should have seen your face!" She cackled, plopping down onto the sand bank.

"Yours wasn't any better!" I jibed sitting next to her.

"At least I don't have wrinkles when I frown!"

"Give it a few years. You'll have a face like a leather bag." She pushed me playfully in response. We sat recovering from out fits of giggles, watching fat clouds unhurriedly float by in the sky above. After a long pause, she spoke,

"I was just worried about what would happen if they figure out it was us.."

"We'll just have to keep our heads down for a while."

"Hmph, that's easier said than done, if you're Vaan." She rose and brushed the sand off her outfit. She outstretched her hand to help me to my feet.

"I'm not that much like him am I?" I questioned, clasping her hand.

"No.. I just said it because I knew how much you'd hate it."

And that was it. We forgave and forgot the whole matter. It was hard to stay mad at someone like Penelo, she was just too amiable.

"Why does he hate me?" I asked as we began walking again. We both still had an iron grip on the chocobo even though it was obvious by his dawdling he wasn't going to run off again. In such a short space of time Fidget the chocobo had transformed into Slowpoke the chocobo.

"He doesn't hate you. He just… finds it hard to be around you."

"Why's that? Because of what I did when I first met you both? You know, destroying that whole shipment of desert fruit."

"No!" She chuckled, waving the silly suggestion away with a flick of her hand. "It's just…Did you know Vaan used to have a brother?"

"No, nobody ever told me." I ducked under the neck of the chocobo again to see Penelo's expression. It was distant and thoughtful.

"His name was Reks… Vaan and he lost their parents before the war. The plague claimed them. After their deaths, Reks looked after Vaan on his own. When the war came, it took my family…" There was a heavy, solemn pause.

I halted the chocobo with a light jerk of its reins. I moved around so I was facing her. She was staring at the sand as if she wished for it to swallow her up. In that moment I remembered, she was just a kid. The children here were so grown up. When I was Penelo's age the only things I had to fret about were my grades or what outfit to wear on Friday night. I didn't even have a job. If I had allowed myself, I would have mulled over how incredibly childish I had been as a teenager. However, I wanted Penelo to continue her story.

"Are you okay?" I asked, placing my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to coax her out of her trance.

"Yeah.. I try not to think about how I lost them.. It's just sometimes it's unavoidable." She said with a shrug of her shoulder and a weak smile.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Her smile became more genuine. "Anyway, Reks looked after us. He told me once he wanted to protect Vaan and me but the only way he could do that was to fight the problem, to go to war. He joined the royal army of Dalmasca and worked his way up the ranks. Within three short years he was promoted to being a Knight of Dalmasca. Vaan was so proud of him. He used to gloat to all the people who had ever called either of us thieves or paupers but then… Reks died." Her voice wavered slightly.

"How?" I asked softly all the while wanting to here more.

"He was attacked by Captain fon Ronsenburg of the Dalmascan Knights. Apparently, the captain found out that the king was going to sign a treaty… Reks was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Captain attempted to kill Reks so he wouldn't be hung for treason.."

"Wow.."

"He was barely alive when they found him. He hung on for a few days… Vaan kept saying how strong he was, a lesser soldier would have died then and there, but not Reks. He kept bringing him Galbana Lillies… When he died we both had no idea what to do or where to go. Rek's wages had been paying for everything, without them we were back on the streets again. Luckily, Migelo had heard of what had happened and looked out for us.. he still does." Penelo's eyes were glassy with tears that she would allow to fall. She suddenly became aware of this and swept them away swiftly.

"So, you see," She said with a faint sniff, "Vaan doesn't hate you. He just doesn't want someone to take Reks' place."


	8. Chapter VIII

Author's Notes

To make up for taking a while to update, this chapter is much longer than usual. Also, if you're wondering why most of my chapter titles are slightly random they're all references to films, music and books. If you get stuck trying to recognize any, there's a list of them on my profile page!

Disclaimer

I don't own FFXII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter VIII: Promises, Promises.**

That night I had worked myself ragged at the Sandsea, just as I had inwardly promised. Despite my efforts and offers to stay until closing, Tomaj allowed me to leave at the usual hour of 12 O'clock. This caused grumbles from the other waitresses to be flung around the tavern. I later found out they had dubbed me 'Tomaj's pet'.

I sat amongst the cushions and sheets of our makeshift bed, a book held loosely in my hands. It was a book of Dalmasca's history, a gift from Old Dalan. He had thought that perhaps the tales within its pages would jolt my sluggish memory to life. Although there was nothing wrong with my memory, I read it anyway. It could prove handy to know some facts on Dalmasca and Rabanastre. I yawned and stretched like a lazy house cat, dropping the open book onto my stomach. It slumped like a sagging tent.

The cramped space was filled with the aroma of a rich stew. Penelo had taught me how to make it. It was known as a desert stew as all of it ingredients came from the two stretches of wasteland that boarded Rabanastre. It had chunks of Cocktrace meat, the slightly peppery flesh of a Rogue tomato and sweet Cactus fruit. I had cooked it as I knew the two teenagers would be hungry and tired from their shift at Migelo's.

The door rattled. Its loud noise caused my heart to jolt into my throat. I reached behind the large pillow that I had used to prop myself up with. I fumbled and wrapped my hands around the handle of a small dagger. There had been numerous break-ins and thefts in the Low Town due to money problems causing people to seek desperate actions. Whenever either of us was alone in the apartment, we always had a weapon nearby to defend ourselves with. I leaned forward slightly so I could whip out the dagger from behind the cushion in one smooth swoop. The door shuddered open. It was Penelo. The tension that been putting strain on my muscles for a few mere seconds ebbed away just as quickly as it came.

"Hello. I passed by the Sandsea to see if you were there." She said as she shoved the door shut with a kick of her foot. She had a basket full of foodstuffs held in her arms.

"Tomaj let me off early again."

"I guessed as much from what the waitresses were saying about you."

I sighed in annoyance. Tomaj was getting me into bad books with the other girls too often for my liking, lately. Next time, I'll refuse when he dismisses me early. It will save me from being called every foul name under the sun.

"You made desert stew!"

"Yeah, I hope it tastes okay."

"I'm sure it will."

She ladled some into a bowl that had a large chip of clay missing from its rim. Tendrils of steam swirled up from the thick broth. It reminded me of that eerie mist that I kept witnessing. How was it that the people here were so indifferent about it? I toyed with the thought of asking if Penelo had seen it when she questioned,

"Do you want some?" She held the tarnished ladle up as a visual aid. I probably had that that look on my face that clearly shows my thoughts have been spirited away.

"Erm, no I ate earlier but I'll sit with you."

I rose from the bed and stepped over to the table. The tiles were cold and dusty. I could feel the dirt encrusting the soles of my feet in a thin layer of grime. Penelo sat opposite and lifted a spoon brimming with broth. She impatiently blew the wisps of steam away before slurping it.

"So, how was work?" I asked, a finger absentmindedly tracing across the grain of the wooden table. I always thought it was rude to watch another person eat.

"Hectic. Migelo is preparing things for the fete."

"The fete?" I glanced up from my fingers and the wood.

"Yeah, its tomorrow, you know."

"Really? I thought it wasn't for a few weeks yet." _How time flies when you're trapped in another world_, my mind bitterly declared.

"No, tomorrow. Why'd you think Migelo sent me and you out today to collect that big shipment?" She dipped her spoon once more into the stew and lifted it to her mouth again.

"Oh. I just thought he couldn't find Vaan." I replied with a small shrug. To be honest I hadn't given it much thought. More preying matters, like finding Kaiser, were on my mind.

"Well, I've got to get up at dawn break tomorrow to organize produce for the banquet before we open the shop."

"Does Migelo need my help tomorrow too? He didn't say anything about it this morning." Tomorrow was En'gul which, if I've worked it out correctly, is Friday. I never work at Migelo's on En'guls as I normally have a eight hour shift to endure at the Sandsea.

"No. Although you might have to bring some Barose wine from the Sandsea's stock as I doubt he has enough." The clattering of her spoon against the clay bowl filled the brief pause as she scrapped the dregs of the stew's broth up. "That was lovely!" She praised with a smile whilst pushing the bowl aside.

"Thanks."

"I better be off to bed." It came out as a weary sighed. Penelo rose from the floor and padding over to kitchen to wash her bowl. "Vaan's at Old Dalan's, he should be home in an hour or so."

I nodded, watching her undo her plates and comb her hair.

"So you're talking to him too?" She paused for a moment before saying,

"Yes.. I understand why you both did it. It's just I can't help think what would have happened if Vaan had be caught or the fact that those guards might be out there looking for us right now."

"I know.."

"Just do me a favour.. Keep an eye on Vaan over the next few days. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Okay." I agreed although I wasn't sure Vaan himself would like the idea. He'd probably think I was babying him even more than usual.

"And next time he comes to you with some harebrained plan, tell him to _take a hike_." I smirked at the fact she'd used one of my supposedly strange sayings. I must be rubbing off on her.

Penelo changed into her nightwear and set the alarm clock for the morning. The clock reminded me of one I had had as a child, before digital clocks became the norm. It was a big, chunky thing made from tin. The clock's alarm bells sat perched on top of its face like Mickey Mouse ears. A small, metal hammer was nestled in-between them. I knew from past experiences that the sound was so loud it would not only wake us but the neighbours as well! I decided also get some rest. I was sure Vaan could find his way around the kitchen without making too much noise or mess.

Nights were always restless for me. No matter how worn-out I was I could never quite 'switch-off' in order to slip into a deep slumber. Instead I would ponder and wonder and fret and mull over why I was still here. This resulted in me sleeping in short, shallow bursts, like cat napping, so I never felt reenergized the next morning.

* * *

A dream. I knew it was a dream because I was back home, in Spain. I was strolling down the long stretch of dirt track that snaked down a steep hill. I'm going to my parents' house. I loved their house. It was so different to mine and Jorge's. It was a homely, white Spanish villa with a hefty wooden door. The west wall of the villa was covered in windows so that light would flood in all year round. There was also a small garden that had a flight of steps that lead to a terrace with a pool.

The road becomes steeper and so my steps become jarred and deliberate. It causes my toes to slide to the tip of my pumps. They squash together, painfully. I march on, my arms swinging a bit too forcefully. It's the effect of my pumps slapping harshly on the ground. The sky is overcast with thick, grey clouds. There is a cold breeze that carries the distant scent damp earth and smoke. The neighbouring villas would ignite fires on winter days to cleanse their land of overgrowth and weeds. As I look around the mountainous valley, small grey-white plumes of smoke rise from the land like Native American smoke signals. The chill is starting to find a way through the fabric of my clothes. It seeps in as if it desires to graft itself to my bones. I become impatient at the last stretch of the hill and jog the rest of the way down.

When I approach the villa, I see the door is open and Mum is stood waiting for me. I get my colouring from my mum. She has the same shock of black hair and grey-blue eyes. She always called her eye-colour a dingy dishwater shade whenever people complemented her on them.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned as I make my way up the flagstone path to the open door. She sounds surprised to see me.

"I came to see you guys." I grinned, shoving my hands into my jeans pockets.

"You can't be here." She stated flatly, her normally friendly features shifted into a look of concern.

"Of course I can. It's not a work day, today's Monday."

I assumed she'd probably gotten confused as of what day it was. She had a pretty hectic job and some days she would forget that I didn't work the same work schedule as most people. Weekends were the busiest time of the week so Dave always insisted me and Jane had to work. The reason for this was we were the only members off staff who could speak Spanish fluently.

"No. You can't be here, Edie." Her stern tone was accompanied with her folding her arms, as if illustrating to me she was serious.

"But… why?"

Then I heard it, that boisterous, raspy bark. I whirled round to see Kaiser stood just outside the villa's gate. His tail was wagging in excitement. His breath is visible in the winter air. He quickly bounded off back up the dirt track. I turned to face Mum again, not quite sure how or why Kaiser had suddenly appeared.

"Well, you better go after him." Mum said. I dithered unsure as of what to do, "Go on Edie, he's your dog, you need to go after him!"

"But.."

"Go!" She bellowed.

* * *

I awake as if someone's just electrocuted me. It takes awhile for my mind to recover from being harshly jerked out of my dream by the alarm clock's offensive ringing. Even after the evil little contraption has stopped ringing I still shake. My hair is damp with sweat and is plastered to my forehead and the back of my neck.

"Sorry, did it wake you?" Whispered Penelo in the darkness. There was the noise of her fumbling around for the oil lantern. The light crystals radiated too much light so we tended to use a lantern when only one of us had to get up early. She lit it and a warm glow illuminated her face. "Are you alright?" She questioned, her dark eyes darting over my frazzled and crazed face.

"Yeah, just a bad dream."

"Maybe you should try and see if you can fall back to sleep."

"No, it's okay. I'm awake now." I rose from the bed and took the lantern from her. "I'll make us some coffee."

I placed the lantern on the table and entered the kitchen. I managed to locate the second lantern without stubbing my toe or stumbling into any lurking objects. Once it was lit the two flickering lights cast playful shadows on the walls. The only part of the apartment that was out of reach from the flames fingers of light was the bed. I squinted and could just make out Vaan's form sprawled amongst the cushions. If I listened beyond the crackle and hiss off the lanterns, I could just hear his breathing. It was deep and regular, the sign of someone who has allow themselves to be submerged in sleep. I envied him.

The screech of the washroom door being opened pulled me from my thoughts. Penelo had been getting changed into her usual day clothes. She tiptoed over to the table and seated herself. I began to prepare the coffee pot. It was of a similar style to a Spanish one, so it didn't matter how bleary-eyed I was I could still do it. I separated the two tin compartments by unscrewing them. Then in the lower, wider section I pulled out the filter, which has the appearance of a small sieve. I filled it up with water and replaced the filter. Then I spooned some pre-ground coffee and packed it down well. The coffee had such a powerful scent to it that I my body was slowly beginning to stir from its sluggish state. All that was left was to screw the top compartment on and heat it on the hob.

Penelo was doing her braids when I brought a breakfast platter of toasted bread, honey, jam and natural yoghurt to the table. We always took it in turns between us to prepare breakfast. Normally I never ate in the mornings. I didn't like to eat when I wasn't fully awake but since working nearly every waking hour, I forced myself to eat just so I didn't get a dreaded dizzy spell.

"Maybe we should get Vaan up before I eat all of this." Penelo joked before taking another bite of her bread.

"A stampede of wild chocobos wouldn't wake him up."

"Well, perhaps a cold bucket of water would." She mused, evilly. "It would be a fitting punishment for his not contributing to the rent again."

"He still hasn't paid?" She shook her head due to her mouth being full.

The coffee pot began to spit and bubble. I rose and carefully brought it from the hob to the table. I lifted the lid to make sure it had filtered through. The top compartment had a small spout which would suck up the boiling water mixed with coffee up into its chamber. I poured us both a generous amount. Penelo liked coffee as much as I did. "I suppose he needs every Gil he can get. Airships don't exactly come cheap, huh?"

Penelo began to giggle. She quickly clasped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle it.

"I suppose you right. But if worse came to worse he could always settle for a chocobo."

"Hmm, chocobo-pirate doesn't have the same ring to it though." This time we both began to snicker.

It wasn't long after our girlish giggling had subsided that Penelo realized she was running late. Cursing, she grabbed another chunk of bread and held it in-between her teeth as she hurriedly fastened her boots. She pulled the bread from her mouth and said,

"I'll see you later." With that, she was up and out of the door before I even had chance to say goodbye.

After finishing my second cup of coffee, I decided it would be best to wash my lank hair and get changed. I trudged into the washroom and activated a light crystal. The washroom had a toilet, a tiny shower and a rack over head to hang wet clothes when we weren't using the shower. There was also a little, old mirror that had turned a smoky hue with age. Ignoring the mirror, I turned the shower on. It rattled to life and spurted out irregular jets of cold water. Due to the apartment not having a boiler, the water was always icy cold. It was a good job that Rabanastre rarely had a cloudy day otherwise we'd all end up with the flu. I discarded my nightdress and unflinchingly step under the shower. If the coffee had failed to awaken me, the shower defiantly flushed the last of my mind's fogginess down the plughole.

I reached for a bar of hair soap and began to build up a good amount of foam in my hands. It didn't really have a distinctive smell, it just smelt like soap. To be honest, I had never known how Penelo could tell the difference between hair soap and the soap we used to wash our clothes. I would have only been able to tell afterwards, when my hair was clean but as dry as an autumn leaf. Since then, I had gouged out an _H_ on the soap with my fingernail. I had been wary about using it at first, thinking it would be too acidic and rob my hair of its natural oils. However, due to it being so rich and buttery, I didn't even need to apply conditioner afterwards. It'd be the one item I would want to bring back with me from Ivalice.

I then began to massage it into my scalp and slowly work my hands down the length of my hair. It had grown since I had stumbled into Ivalice. Before it stopped below my shoulders yet now it skimmed the small of my waist. This was why I would almost always tie it up for work, as it was just getting in the way all the time. After cleansing my hair and body of dirt, I cautiously stepped out and snatched at two towels that hung from the rack above. One was wrapped around my head to stop my hair from dripping all over the floor and the other I used to dry myself. I rapidly rubbed at my skin in hope to warm it enough to stop myself from shivering. Once dry, I put on my underwear and pulled on my usual cheesecloth dress and decorative waistcoat.

Vaan was still asleep when I padded out of the washroom. I decided to put my sandals on today and give my boots a rest. The only reason I hadn't really been wearing them much was because each strap had to be individually buckled. It took five minutes in total to fasten both sandals. The last thing to sort out was my hair. I had towel dried it and combed it, all I needed was to pin it up with my new hair pin. It was over where the bed was, in a small woven basket where Penelo and I kept thing such as jewellery and hair combs. As I secured it by digging the long, elegant silver pin into my head, Vaan rolled over. He was still asleep. Irritate by his dozing state, I hovered over him and poked him in his stomach.

"Vaan! Get up you lazy bugger."

"Wha?" He mumbled. His eyes didn't even bother to open half-way.

"I said, get up. Penelo and Migelo are probably gonna need your help today."

"Yeah, yeah in a minute." He grumbled, dismissively.

"Fine." I shrugged before marching over to the door and activating the light crystals. Their glow was blinding compared to the subtle luminance of the oil lanterns. Vaan groaned tetchily and threw his forearm over his eyes to protect them from the new, brighter light. I distinguished the two lanterns and snatched up my shoulder bag. "See ya later!" I beamed in faux joyfulness and waltzed out of the door.

* * *

The Sandsea was busy as always, however a certain element threw me off balance when I entered. I stood momentarily attempting to figure out why the place radiated such a different atmosphere when it hit me- there were no guards. I made my way to the bar and slipped behind it. This was probably the first time I had seen it so lively with civilians.

"'Morning." Greeted Tomaj, his cheerfulness made a refreshing change.

"So where are all the guards?" I asked as I hung up my bag.

"Archadia's finest are all scuttling around making preparations for their leader's arrival."

"The Consul?" I tied my pinafore around my waist, whilst watching him serve a civilian.

"Is that what he's called? I would have pegged him as a spineless paper-pusher." He snorted "Two years Rabanastre has been stuck in limbo and this prick thinks he can swan in late and wipe up all the mess! Well good luck to him is what I say because he's gonna damn need it."

"Hear, hear!" Chorused the line of haggard men who were propping up the bar. Some even raised their tankards in agreement. I stifled a smirk. Today's shift was going to be interesting indeed.

Everyone had views on the Consul's arrival and very few were positive. I knew little on him but many of the Sandsea's customers were quick to enlighten me.

"Hmph. Son of an Emperor and what does father dearest give him? His own kingdom to govern!"

"Men like him favour empty promises."

"Rabanastre still grieves, how is his coming here going to do nothing more than open up healing wounds?"

"I heard he slaughtered his own kin at the orders of his father.."

"His kind, no matter how proper they may seem, have devious tendencies that are set deep within their bones."

It seemed the crowds that were going to lend their ears to Vayne Solidor's speech and manifesto for Rabanastre's future weren't going to be welcoming. I was curious as to how the whole event might go down. Towards the end of my exhausting shift I felt obliged to go to the ceremony, just so I could see this so-called tyrant for myself. Many customers began to leave so they could get a good spot in the Royal Boulevard. Some even debated what would be the accurate distance for being a good spitting range.

"Edie!" Beckoned Tomaj. I trotted over to the bar to see what he wanted.

"Yeah?"

"Migelo needs you to take this to his shop. You might as well go after that, after all you wouldn't want to miss the pack of lies that the Consul will be dishing out." He propped a box of Dalmascan Barose wine on the bar as he spoke. It confirmed Penelo's doubts, Migelo hadn't ordered enough wine.

"Okay. Thanks, Tomaj."

"Oh don't thank me, thank our new gracious leader." He scoffed.

I had an inkling that Tomaj's disdain for the new Consul wasn't entirely based on Vayne Solidor's reputation. Tomaj was always jealous of people who were higher up the ladder than him, especially if they hadn't worked for it like he did. Nonetheless, I decided to acknowledge my boss' uncommon generosity and quickly exit the tavern with the stock of wine.

The streets were bustling with people milling back and forth between the merchant districts and the upper-class district. There were fewer Archadian guards watching the mob than usual. It was almost a promising glimpse into Rabanastre's future, where the streets, taverns and bazaar wouldn't be plagued by the likes of guards in armour. I pushed on through the crowd, hearing the same worried and angry tenors that the Sandsea's customers had used. When I reached the shop, it was surprisingly calm. Penelo was behind the register, a long scroll of parchment in her hands. Her eyes scanned over it rapidly, she didn't even pause to blink.

"Hi." I said quietly, not wanting to break her concentration. I placed the box of wine onto the counter. "You were right." She lifted her head up and finally blinked.

"I thought so." She smiled, her eyes dropping back down to the scroll.

"So, how's it going?" I leaned over the counter in hope to see why the scroll held her attention. It was a checklist of all of the banquet's items. The vast majority of them had been ticked.

"Well. What of Vaan? Have you seen him?"

"Not since I woke him up this morning."

"Perhaps we should check he isn't up to his old tricks again."

"Sure, Tomaj gave me the rest of the afternoon off so I could see the Consul give his speech."

"Oh, did he now?"

This seemed worthy of breaking her attention from her checklist duties. She quickly discarded the parchment and quill. Her eyes glinted impishly and she raised her eyebrows.

"What?" I exclaimed innocently, although I had a suspicion of where this was going. "I only had two hours or so left."

"Tomaj's pet." A smirk accompanied her current mischievous expression.

"Ugh. Not you too! That's all I get from the girls at work!"

"I think he likes you, you know."

"Don't even start, Penelo. You'll lose."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Her look dropped. _Now who's playing innocent?_

"_Perhaps we should check if Vaan isn't up to his old tricks again._" My voice mimicked her girlish tone to a tee. It seemed we had shifted positions in our friendly banter. I was the impish one and she the irritated one.

"Well you're obviously not keeping an eye on him." She said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, so know you're going to deflect? Told ya I'd win." I said, matching her wryness.

At that moment, Migelo made an appearance from the dim of the stock room. I cringed and silently prayed he hadn't heard our teasing each other.

"Edie, a pleasant surprise you being here."

"Tomaj sent me with some Barose wine."

"Splendid, do send my thanks to him. I know how sparing he can be with his stock."

"Yes. Strange that, him acting out of character, being all generous." Penelo falsely mused aloud. She even put her finger to her chin theatrically. "I guess something must be wearing down his defences."

"Maybe he's just trying to turn over a new leaf." I shrugged hoping I embodied nonchalance, when really all I wanted to do was stick my tongue out at her.

"Either way, he has been most helpful." Acknowledged Migelo. "My girls, perhaps you should take advantage of this pause from an otherwise chaotic day and take to the streets. I will summon you if you are needed." This was his over-polite means of getting us out from under his feet.

"If you're sure." Penelo said.

"Indefinitely." He nodded, his long head tended to bob easier than a Hume's. As we both turned to leave he called, "Do tell Vaan that I require him to run an errand for me if you come across the boy."

"Yes!" We chimed in unison.

* * *

It hadn't taken long to find him. We meandered along in the direction of the Muthru Bazaar. There was bound to be a bargain or two that we could snap up while we waited for the Consul's arrival. The street was elevated above a manmade canal, like a bridge. I paused to lean over the iron railings that lined the street's edges. The water was merely there for decoration purposes as it didn't seem to flow like most canals would. Penelo joined me. Her gaze was set upon the neighbouring streets and the city's skyline. A nearing sound of footsteps pounding against the cobbles caused our heads to snap round. It was Vaan. His back was now facing us, he was double checking to see if anyone was following him. His behaviour would have been peculiar if it weren't for the coin sack that hung from his hand.

"Hmph!" Grunted Penelo in annoyance.

She moved with stealth, her footsteps light and quick. When she was close enough, she made a swift grab for the coin sack.

"Huh?" Vaan whirled round to see his friend holding his steal. The coin sack swung side to side as it dangled from her hand. He flinched at her unexpected presence. Not wanting to miss out on Vaan being scolded for his actions, I joined them.

Penelo adjusted her stance, moving her hands to her hips. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed, she almost looked intimidating.

"Hey, that's mine." Vaan whined when her look showed no signs of wavering.

"What do you mean _yours_?" She leaned in closer, her brow furrowed further. "You've been stealing again! What happens if they catch you?"

Vaan remained silent. At least he was smart enough to know her question was rhetorical.

"They could have figured out it was you. They could have been the same guards from the crowd at the Boscobel Oak. You're putting the two of us in danger as well as yourself!" He became bored with her lecturing and casually turned his back to her before slowly pacing away. Not one to be ignored, she paced after him, continuing her rant.

"Besides, we need you to be there for us, Vaan. You're no good to anyone if you're locked away in a dungeon!"

"Oh what am I the leader now?" He queried, sarcastically. His head turned slightly in my direction, his eyes narrowing somewhat. It was obvious he thought I had robbed him of that when I had arrived here. "We're orphans. The first thing you learn is you gotta watch out for yourself. C'mon Penelo. You know it as well as I do." He turned on his heel to gauge her reaction, probably hoping he had said enough to defuse her anger. It seemed Penelo hadn't even been listening to his weak justification. Instead she had decided to investigate the contents of the pouch while his back was turned.

"Hey, you give that back!" He exclaimed, closing the short distance he had placed between them in record timing. "What do you think you're doing?"

Not even bothering to break her interest from the coin sack she said,

"I thought that this money was the people of Dalmasca's property. The Imperials stole it from us, so it's only fair that we take it back. It's our duty as Dalmascans. Well, wasn't that what you said?"

Although I had never heard Vaan say this myself, it seemed fitting of something he would say. I knew for a fact that Penelo agreed with his slapdash logic, though she would never willing act upon it. I watch as she fished out a silver coin. Vaan snatched at the pouch before she could confiscate anymore.

"Yeah, but I never said anything about taking it back from me!" He sulked.

"This is for that bread you took the other day." She explained her palm outstretched with the Gil nestled in its centre. "Just because Edie and I help Migelo out every now and then, it doesn't mean you get to eat for free, too, you know."

"I know that.. do you think I like living like this." He sighed, glumly.

At that moment a shadow passed over us. It's thick, solid form suggested that it wasn't a mere cloud. We all tilted our heads up to the sky. Slowly moving above use was a large airship, probably a cargo-ship. It blotted out the sun harsh rays for a few seconds longer before continuing its course to the other side of town, where the Aerodrome was located. "One of these days I'll fly an airship of my own. I'll be a sky-pirate, free to go where I will."

Penelo turned to him, her lips shifted into a warm smile. I didn't even bother to resist the urge of rolling my eyes. I placed a hand on Vaan's shoulder, dragging him from his dreams of the future.

"I think you'd make a great sky-pirate, Vaan. After all, your head's always in the clouds." He shrugged off my hand with a sharp jerk of his shoulder and emitted an irritable huff. Penelo's smile grew wider. I began to walk off, leaving Vaan with his fantasies. She joined my side and called behind her.

"Well you best be careful! You'll never fly anything if you're rotting in a dungeon!" She then paused and spun round. "Oh, Migelo had some errands that need doing. He wanted you to drop by his place. It might be a good idea to lend a hand!"

* * *

I sat slightly hunched on a stone step. It was one of the many bleachers that were lining the Royal Boulevard. Penelo had left me in search for Vaan. As I waited, I cast a glance at the crowd that was also patiently waiting with me. There were families, couples, elderly people and children, all were paupers who had travelled from their customary surroundings of the Low Town to here. I wondered if they recalled the last ceremony held here. The wedding of Princess Ashe and Lord Rasler. Perhaps it was still too painful to remember.

The crowd suddenly perked up when the cathedral's bells began to chime joyously. A float was leisurely making it's was up the long stretch of street. I could only just make out the lone figure stood atop of it. _Where the hell are Vaan and Penelo?_ My eyes were distracted from the float by the movement of two beings running alongside it. It was them. _Trust Vaan to be late._ They dodged in and out of the fringes of the crowd. Vaan's head was turned to the parade, his vision fixated on the lone figure on the float, the Consul. As they neared me, Vaan slowed his pace and eventually halted. His dark eyes refused to break away from the float. Penelo caught up with him and gently took his arm. This small, but reassuring gesture seemed to coax his attention away from the float.

"Penelo!" I called, although not too loudly. There were plenty of guards around. The last thing I needed was them to start on us because they thought I was being disruptive. Her head whipped round and I dumbly waved at her. She dragged Vaan in my direction.

Vayne Solidor dismounted the float and began to ascend the flight of steps up to the cathedral. Midway in their rise, there was a speaker's podium. A solider dressed in a striking, black full-body armoured suit, stood awaiting him. The Consul turned to regard the sea of forlorn faces. To my surprise he was a young man, no doubt in his late twenties. I guess I had been accustomed to the abundance of politicians back home who all owned drooping jowls and puffy eyes. I had thought due to his position in Archadia's Empire, he would have been slightly more senior. Another factor that left me taken aback was that this man was handsome. He had lengthy dark hair that stretched down to his shoulders, equally dark eyes and bone structure that depicted his aristocratic roots. It seemed quite hard to believe that this was the man that had slain so many countless souls under the instruction of his father. _Talk about tall, dark and deadly._

"We will have order!" Demanded the solider, "I give you your new consul.. His Imperial Highness Lord Vayne Solidor.. Commandant of the Archadian Empire's Ar-"

As if equally jaded by the pompous introduction, the Consul himself broke the soldier's speech. He once more descended the steps and approached the crowd. "Your Excellency!"

The Consul continued to ignore his servant and stepped atop the float. His eyes scanned the crowd in one long swoop before he eventually spoke.

"People of Rabanastre! Is it with hatred you look upon your consul? With hatred you look upon the Empire?"

The crowd finally found its voice. In a livid roar it answered his questioning. I even heard some hotly shout,

"Spit on your Empire!"

"Go back to Archadia!"

"There was little point in asking." The Consul sighed, "But know this: I harbour no idle hopes of frustrating that hatred. Nor shall I ask your fealty. That is due to your fallen king, and rightly so. King Raminas loved his people. Strove you to bring you peace. His was a rule truly worthy of your devotion. Even now, he remains among you, protecting you. His ardour for the peace and weal of Dalmasca falters not. I would ask that you only do your king honour. Together, let us embrace the peace His Majesty would surely desire. Two years now divide us from war's bitter end. Yet still its shadow looms over all, stifling the infant peace. A pall only you may cast off! Achieve but this one thing… and your hatred of me, and of the Empire will grieve me not."

Members of the crowd fidgeted. They glanced at each other, almost as if in disbelief as to what their ears were hearing. I almost smiled at the Consul's brilliance. He indeed was a true politician, a true manipulator of the people. Deflecting the fact that Dalmasca was under the grip of the Empire by acknowledging their plight and fallen monarchy. He was softening them up.

"I will stand fast. Endure your hatred, suffer your slings and arrows. I will defend Dalmasca! Here I will pay my debt! I swear it now! Though King Raminas and Lady Ashe be gone, they stand ever at the side of their people." He gestured in a smooth motioning of his hand behind him, to the towering cathedral. I assumed that was where they had been laid to rest. "In honouring peace… you do honour their memory, and to Dalmasca. What I ask of you, I ask plain. My hopes now rest with you." With his off the cuff speech finished, he elegantly inclined his head and bowed. To my surprise, the crowd began to clap. My hands remained still in my lap. Vaan and Penelo, who had a glassy film of boredom cast over their eyes, stirred. They also didn't clap.

* * *

Hope that wasn't too long! :S Please feel free to tell me what you think!


	9. Chapter IX

Author's Notes

Hello again everyone! I know it's been a while, and those of you who have seen my profile will have noticed why. My poor ancient computer decided to unexpectedly die on me over a month ago, so I had lost everything! Luckily, a friend has kindly donated a computer and I can finally start writing this fanfiction again.

Disclaimer

I don't own FFXII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter IX: New Slang**

Contented by what they had heard, people began to drift from the Royal Boulevard in a calm manner, like that of Hindu cows. The three of us remained seated. All of our eyes were upon Vayne Solidor as he turned to converse with his servant. He must have been discussing the grand cathedral that loomed behind him, which admittedly was breathtaking. Both Penelo and I had noted Vaan's gaze, there was something smouldering beneath its surface and it showed little signs of being distinguished. I didn't really have to give much thought as to what it was. It was the blaze of pure hatred.

"How can people believe that rubbish?" Grumbled Vaan, I could almost hear his teeth grinding as he spoke.

"Because he's good at his job." I shrugged.

This clearly must have stunned the two of them, as their heads whipped round and their eyes widened in shock. They didn't speak so I assumed they were waiting for an explanation as to why I believed this. "That man just offered Rabanastre a hollow apology and weak promises for Dalamasca's future and people snapped it up enthusiastically."

"So he was lying?" Questioned Penelo.

"Lying, bending the truth, whatever you want to call it, all politicians do it. He just wanted to make sure there was no rioting or rebellion while he's here."

With that said, the three of us returned our attention back to the Consul to see that the black-clad solider was chaperoning a familiar Bangaa towards his lordship. We were too far away to hear their conversation, although this didn't stop our ears from straining in effort. I watched, noticing that Migelo's posture was alight with nervous energy as he bowed in greeting. Vayne, on the other hand, was quite the beckon of confidence as he placed his hand on Mieglo's shoulder, like one would when welcoming an old friend. Their exchange was brief and resulted in the Consul ushering Migelo along with him to his next destination, the fete. Migelo's movements still conveyed how awkward he found the situation, his head was stooped and his long tail drooped sheepishly.

"How can he stand to bow to him like that?" Came Vaan's voice again, interrupting my scrutiny once more. Penelo sighed before saying,

"You just don't get it, do you? He's not doing it because he wants to. You know what would happen if he didn't?"

"I know. It's just-"

"So, what would you do differently?" She challenged.

"I don't know..." He rose slowly, as if the movement was an excuse for drawing out his explanation. "Well, I'd do something."

If it had been any other day I would have jibed him about what a pathetic plan that was, but I could see just how much Vayne Solidor's presence was torturing Vaan. It seems that what one of the Sandsea's patriots had been right; the Consul's arrival was doing nothing more than opening up healing wounds. Every time Vaan looked at Vayne, he could see nothing more but his dead brother.

We soon began to move along the boulevard, which only had a few people still lingering in its passage. Perhaps they were like us, unpleased with the things that were said and still were waiting for better pledges. As I walked I was careful to step on the large stone tiles that made up the walkway and not the thin lines that ran in between, remembering the saying from when I was a child, _'don't step on a crack or you'll fall and break your back!'_With everything that was going on (being stranded in a country that was being strangled by war, Kaiser being missing, and probably being wanted for assisting a theft) I needed all the good luck I could get. Vaan fired a few bewildered glares in my direction, but I didn't want to share my superstitions with him. He'd only chalk it up to another reason why I was a burden to him and Penelo.

As we meandered down one of the streets that lead to the town's plaza, Penelo's melodic tone shot up an octave.

"Vaan? Vaan! You haven't heard a single word I've said, have you?"

Truth be told, I also hadn't been listening to her chattering. My thoughts were on my stomach, which kept rumbling as a reminder that I hadn't eaten anything all day. I quickly rearranged my face so it didn't share Vaan's current clueless look.

"This place has changed so much. It's like it's not even Rabanastre anymore.. Like the Empire is swallowing it whole."

She was right, everywhere you looked there was a reminder that the Imperials had Dalmasca on a very short leash, from the abundance of guards to the blood red flags with the Empire's crest on them hanging from lampposts and windows.

"Hey, Penelo. That fete tonight. You think they'll let us in?"

It would seem Vaan had been schooled in an art that most males had been, selective hearing. It was now clear that his thoughts had been on getting into the palace.

"Are you crazy?" We both exclaimed in unison. Penelo managed to chip in and explain the obvious problem before I had chance, "It's in the palace, and we don't have an invitation, if you haven't noticed." Her words were fairer than what mine would have been.

"So… How are we getting in?" He was also schooled in unflinching persistence too.

"As if I'd know. Why not ask Migelo to get you in? Or go see Old Dalan in the Lowtown. Why the sudden interest Vaan?"

"I told you! I'm taking back what's ours! Give back what's ours! Give back to Dalmasca. C'mon, what do you think? If I find something and it fetches a good price, how 'bout I uh… buy you dinner."

What little patience I had left had now evaporated into a rage. I quickly cut in before Penelo had chance to curb my tongue lashing.

"You've got to be joking! What are you planning on doing? Waltz into the palace and make off with the crown jewels?"

"If I can rob a room full of guards, I can do this."

"Oh, Please! You only managed to rob them because I was wearing next to bloody nothing! You'll get thrown into the dungeons before you know what's hit you and then they'll see your civilian's certificate and realize that you were there the night their wallets went missing and come looking for me and Penelo!"

"Yeah, well I'm not stupid enough to get caught!"

"Could've fooled me."

"What did you say?"

"Alright, enough!" hissed Penelo quickly stepping in-between us before the first blow could be landed. "Vaan, she does have a point. It's not just you who could get locked up if the whole thing goes wrong, you need to remember that. Besides, you know as well as I do the first thing you'd buy is an airship!" His sheepish smile confirmed that, that would indeed be the case. "All hail Vaan, sky-pirate of Dalmasca! It's got a nice ring to it. Stay outta trouble!" She beamed, ending the conversation on a high, whilst shepherding me away before I could say anything more.

"How can you so calm about him wanting to rob the palace?" I asked once the little street gave way to the plaza.

"Because he probably won't even go through with it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Vaan's enthusiasm is always short lived. You'll see, this plan of his will have been forgotten by supper."

"I hope you're right." I mumbled as I slumped down onto the fountain's edge.

I watched the ripples of water for a while waiting for my annoyance to subside. Penelo remained at my side, swinging her legs and occasionally humming a few bars of some unknown melody.

We lingered there for some time, unsure what to do with our afternoon. My stomach rumbled in suggestion.

"Hey, why don't we go to that nice, little café near the Murtha Hamam for some coffee and pastries? We've still got some money left over from the Boscobel Oak to spend."

"Well… I can't. I have to go to the nomad's camp out in the Giza plains to drop off some supplies for them. How about you come with me? You could finally practice some of those magick licenses you bought the other week." If it weren't for the friendly eagerness in her voice, I would have shunned the idea for coffee and cake but I couldn't say no to her. I would just have to finish off some of the flatbread we have in the apartment.

"Okay, count me in."

I had forgotten all about the licenses, I guess that's what happens when you work nearly every waking hour. I rummaged around in my shoulder bag until my fingers found coarse leather. I pulled out a small, leather bound book. Every legal civilian in Rabanastre owned one. It was similar to a passport or a form of identification. Within the thin book was my civilian certificate, my extended curfew permit and plenty of pages for licenses.

Licenses can be purchased for nearly every weapon imaginable as well as _magicks, _which, if I understood correctly, are types of spells. When you buy a license the clerk of that particular shop will give you a small slip of paper that you have to paste into the according license section. I flicked through to the pages until I came to my first magick license, it read:

_**~Magick License~**_

_Yurgi's Magicks_

_Civilian: Edie Navidson_

_Magick Acquired: Blizzard_

_Date of Acquisition: 6thSept'ber 267_

_Signed: Yurgi Salna'ar, proprietor of Yurgi's Magicks_

This meant that I could legally practice and use a blizzard spell although I still had no idea how to perform it. Luckily, both Penelo and Vaan had a few magicks licenses and also knew the spells well so I was sure that Penelo could teach me.

Printed underneath that was the actual spell itself:

_**~Blizzard~**_

_Wintry wrath I summon thee_

_Use thy shards to thwart the enemy_

I imagine that without these words, the spell couldn't be cast, however I had a feeling the process would probably be more complex that merely rattling off some words. There would have to be a greater element, a catalyst, to produce the wanted effect.

The idea that anyone who had the money and the skill to use weapons like the ones I had seen in the local weaponry shop was almost unnerving. All you would need was the wrong weapon (or magick) to fall into the wrong hands and surely you'd have a crisis. Yet, people here weren't interested in violence for the goal of a higher social rank like back home. In fact, apart from the robberies in the Bazaar and the Low Town, there was very little crime. Civilians use their licenses as an investment for when travelling along the deserts, so that they're prepared for any attacks by the wild creatures that live beyond the city gates.

* * *

Penelo and I travelled along the dusty terrain of the Giza Plains. The supplies that we brought for the nomads were distributed between us and carried on our backs. This was the first time I had been here and admittedly I was a little disappointed it wasn't the wet season. I was growing tired of dust, sand and scorching heat. After a while, Penelo stopped and set her bundle of supplies down. It thudded to the grown and caused a plume of dust to become airborne. Relieved we were stopping, I mimicked her actions.

"Here." She offered me a leather flask of water.

I accepted it gratefully. The flatbread I had wolfed down earlier had been stale, and now it felt like it was still lingering in the back of my throat. The water seemed to do the trick. Satisfied, I handed it back to her and wiped at my mouth. "Let's get started shall we?" She was obviously referring to my magick schooling.

"Okay."

"First, I'll cast a blizzard spell on that rock there to show you its effect and how it should look. We'll start on rocks because you're not quick enough yet to practice on live foes. Ready?" I nodded, my eyes set upon her, my stare unblinking. I didn't want to miss a thing.

Penelo briefly closed her eyes in concentration and held one of her dainty hands close to her chest. In that instant her form was shrouded in a supernatural, purple light. It was beautiful. It refracted the harsh sunlight as if it was a jewel. As quickly as it came it dissolved, and she stretched out her hand, singling out the rock. Her eyes flung open and she seemed to shove some unseen force down her outstretched arm. I glanced at the rock to see that a thick layer of frost was rapidly covering its surface. What was more shocking was that it showed no signs of melting despite the sweltering heat. Penelo giggled at my dumbfound face.

"Don't worry, it's not as hard as it looks." She assured as I moved to touch the ice clad rock. My fingertips were greeted by a tingling chill when they brushed against its now smooth surface.

"That's amazing.."

"Your turn."

I rose and returned to her side feeling slightly nervous. What if I could do it- what if I could actually cast magicks? What would that mean?

"So, to begin with, you need to learn how to become in tune with your psyche's potential. You need to empty your mind so the spell can be conjured. To do that you must brush aside thoughts and worries and then focus on the nothingness."

Clearing my mind wasn't easy. I didn't really know how to push my thoughts aside so I chose to ignore them until they faded into the corners of my consciousness. Once enough qualms and feelings had began to dissolve I heard Penelo say in an almost inaudible whisper,

"Search through the nothingness. To keep your mind free you must concentrate.. Deep in the psyche, every Hume has the power to connect with the Mist and use its force… it'll take some time to find that valve."

I was running on automatic in order to not bring any new thoughts into the void. I began to concentrate further, sifting through my mind's emptiness. As she had said, it was hard work. Every time I thought I was doing well I'd falter and a thought would flicker back into focus. It was almost like a form of meditation, yet there was nothing simple or relaxing about the task, I was simply struggling against my normal thought patterns.

Time either seemed to stop or became insignificant as I finally grasped a good grip on this strange state of mind. With nothingness now upon me I could begin to attempt to open the valve that would allow me to cast magicks. This also wasn't an easy task as the further I sunk into my psyche, the harder it got. No wonder it took Buddhists years to get even a glimpse of nirvana. It was as if there were different levels of nonexistence to sink down into and staying there was just as hard. I broke concentration a few times and was forced to descend once again.

Finally, just as I could feel my determination ebbing away along with my strength, it was upon me. The valve. In my mind's eye, there was nothing to see, no big switch or lever that needed to be turned on. It was more like finally seizing a profound understanding. It may not have been nirvana but it was good enough for me.

My eyes sluggishly opened. The sun's rays seemed too sharp, too bright and I had to blink a few times to adjust my vision. I felt exhausted, my limbs seemed heavy and clumsy.

"I think I did it." I managed to say, my voice hoarse.

God knows how long it must have taken me to do this, because Penelo had moved from her original position and was now sat beside the frozen rock. She rose fluidly and handed me the flask again.

"It shall become less and less time-consuming with practice. When you're ready, go into that state again and I'll tell you what to do next."

She was right, even with my energy drained I was able to gain control on my valve again in half the time it had taken before. Penelo seemed to notice I was prepared and softly spoke again,

"Now, you're conjuring a blizzard spell so it helps to think of all things cold and frozen. As you're doing this, draw your hand to your chest. This is what spell-casters call their core, were the Mist flows through our beings. By doing this you're mentally summoning the Mist's power so that you can use it to cast your spells."

"What's _Mist_?" I mumbled. I felt her hand lightly hit me on the back of my head.

"You broke you concentration!" She huffed.

"Sorry, I just don't know what Mist is."

By the way she had said the word, it seemed as if this wasn't the regular kind that you'd find on cold days. It had power behind it; you could almost hear the capital at the beginning.

"Mist is the entity that allows us to cast magicks. It's been around since the birth of time."

"Can you see it?" I quizzed, suddenly realizing it could be the strange haze that I kept witnessing.

"No. Well, we Humes can't see it but apparently the Viera can."

"Oh." I sighed.

Then what was I seeing if I couldn't see the Mist? Perhaps it was a different kind? Or maybe, just maybe I was losing my mind.

"Anyway, let's continue." She prompted, seeing that more and more thoughts were seeping into my head by the second.

I complied and once again attempted to clear my mind. When I had successfully done that I used the headspace I had created to think of all things cold. _Ice… snow… glacier… frost… frozen… _As this list compiled in my mind, I brought my hand towards my 'core' and concentrated further _frigid_…_winter…chill…cold…blizzard… _Suddenly I felt a surge of something course through me. I felt it in my fists, in my feet and in the hollows of my eyelids. It engulfed me, making me momentarily strong as it shook through my skull, through my spine and down through my ribs. This had to be the Mist. I slowly extended my arm and opened my eyes so that I could concentrate on the rock that neighboured Penelo's.

"Now think of the spell's words, the ones written in your passport…" Penelo's voice was a soft whisper in my ear.

_Wintry wrath I summon thee.. Use thy shards to thwart the enemy. _The Mist within me surged with more urgency, vibrating up and down my limbs as if it were trapped.

"You're ready. Push all of that power on to the rock."

I did as she instructed and forced the current that coursed through me like electricity, down my arm and through my fingers. As it reached my finger tips the energy fizzled and dispersed as if it had died. I stared at my outspread hand in confusion. Penelo's spell hadn't ended like that.

"Don't worry," Penelo reassured light-heartedly, "The hardest part of the spell is forcing the magick onto its target. You did well. In fact, you did much better that Vaan- he couldn't even conjure a blizzard spell to begin with. I think that was probably due to his short attention span though!"

"Well that's good to know."

"Want to try again?"

"Sure!"

I must have practiced this spell for an hour before I finally had that 'eureka' moment and everything clicked smoothly into place. The whole process became much smoother and quicker, although I still wasn't nearly anywhere as swift as Penelo. Exhilarated, I dashed towards the rock that had been my mortal enemy for the afternoon and touched the cool ice that now encrusted its face.

"I did it!" The surprise in my voice was evident. "I did it! It finally worked!"

"Well done." Praised my mentor.


	10. Chapter X

Author's Notes

Hello! First of all a nice big thank you to all the people who reviewed, added this to your favourites or are keeping tabs on it with alerts!

To answer Katreda's question: yes, I made up the blizzard spell myself. I probably won't bother doing it for every spell, just every now and then or maybe with Espers.

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter X: McFearless**

I was still coming down from the high of what I had managed to achieve this afternoon when we entered the nomad camp. This camp was slightly larger than the one that took refuge at the foot of the Estersand's mountains. It had a few tattered tepees and a small pen where a gaggle of Cockatrice walked tirelessly in their confines, pecking at the cracked ground. There was also a strange, large rock that rose from the ground like a twisted dagger blade. Its dark slate shade broke up the cheerful blue sky. Penelo seemed to pay no attention to the fierce looking flint as she headed towards an old woman who sat outside a tepee.

"Hello Elder Brunoa." She beamed in her usual natural exuberance.

"Penelo, it's good to see you my child." The old woman nodded. Her cloudy eyes then regarded me for a moment.

"This is Edie. She helps Migelo out now and then."

We both exchanged greetings and the Elder scratched her nose as she said,

"I see.. is that Vaan shying away from his work again?"

"No more than usual." Laughed Penelo. She placed her bag of supplies on the ground before her. I once again mimicked her actions. "I brought you everything that was on the list you gave Migelo."

"I hadn't been expecting that, what with that banquet taking place today."

"Well, you know how Migelo is, long time customers come first."

"Then do send him my gratitude, won't you?" She said as her withered hand offered Penelo a coin sack.

"Of course."

With our job done, we decided to hang around for a bit. Penelo knew a lot of the nomad families and we stopped to talk to some of the children. They quickly recognized her and crowded round her like excited puppies. She laughed at their enthusiastic greeting.

"Hey Penelo!"

"Whatchya doing here?"

"Did you go to that parade today?"

"Did you get to see the Consul?"

"Where's Vaan?"

"Who's that?"

"Where's Kytes?"

"Did you bring us a present?"

Their little voices whirled around her in a burst of energy. Each one was craving her attention, like she was their big sister.

"Actually I _do_ have something for you guys."

She plucked a pouch that somehow she had managed to attach to her clothing and emptied its contents into her hand. Two wooden spinning tops tumbled out into her palm. They were painted in bright colours. One sported primary colours, the other secondary. A chorus of excited chattering rose as they all moved to huddle closer to Penelo and get a better glimpse of the toys.

"They used to be mine and Vaan's but we haven't used them in years. Here, I'll show you how to make them spin." She skilfully wrapped a length of string around the small pole that jutted out from the body of the spinning top. It was then arranged in her hand in a similar way you would hold a pebble to skim it across a lake. The flock of children hurriedly made room for Penelo, their eyes glinting with delight. Penelo then flicked her wrist and the spinning top gracefully landed on the ground and began performing a never-ending pirouette. She then repeated the process with the remaining spinning top and as it began its own dance, it collided with the other. This caused them to swirl away from each other only to circle back and crash together again in a violent ballet. The children squatted, hands on their knees and were leaning forward slightly due to them being so engrossed in the mini battle. Eventually one of the spinning tops lost its momentum and its spinning came to a halt.

"The first one to stop spinning loses." She told them. "You can have a tournament. See which one of you can become champion of the Giza Plains!"

"Yeah, let's!" A girl grinned.

"No, we should wait for Jinn to come back first." Said another, slightly older girl.

"Naw, he'll be ages, he's gone to make some sunstones." A sandy haired boy informed.

"But he'll be mad with us when he finds out." The older girl moaned.

"That's his problem." Retorted the boy.

"Who's going first?" Another boy questioned, hopping from foot to foot with impatience.

"That should keep them out of trouble for a while."

Penelo smiled as she rose from where she had been squatting to observe the spinning tops' performance. As she turned towards me I noticed she paused, her fair brows rising up into her fringe in a look of intrigue. I followed her stare to see a very familiar figure making his way to us in his usual easygoing manner. Vaan.

"Penelo? What are you doing here?" He asked in a puzzled voice. As usual he didn't even acknowledge my presence.

"I could ask you the same. Though the answer's pretty clear: no good."

"What? I'm being good."

"At the moment." I mumbled. His eyes flickered from Penelo to me. The look he gave me clearly showed he was still riled up from our earlier spat.

"Hmm is that right? So then you wouldn't mind if we, say, tagged along, would you?" She asked in a tone that wasn't a far stretch from suspicion. It seemed she was also pretending not to notice our tight gaze at one another. "Oh don't worry. Migelo's busy with the preparations for the fete up at the palace. Why, I'm free for the whole day and Tomaj let Edie have the afternoon off."

"I bet he did." He smirked.

"Well? Let's get going!" She interjected before I could verbally assault him for his goading.

We didn't move far when one of the children who had been playing with the spinning tops dashed after us. The girl had been the one who had insisted to the group to wait for Jinn to return before launching into their tournament.

"Penelo! Are you guys going to make a sunstone?"

"I don't know, are we?" She questioned Vaan.

"Yeah." He answered her, he then turned to the girl, "Don't worry, Masuya asked me to find Jinn-"

"Guess what? I saw Jinn off in the south part of the plains- in the Crystal Glade. He was right by a small crystal. I asked if he wanted to come back to the camp with me, but he said he still had some work to finish up. We take breaks in the glade, since the monsters seem to stay away from it. I was a little worried because Jinn looked like he might have been hurt, but I was afraid to push him too hard to come back. Now I'm wondering if I did the right thing.." The whole thing came out in a long sentence. The girl hardly paused for breath.

"It's okay, Camina, we'll find him and bring him back." Reassured Penelo, with a warm smile. This seemed to calm the girl somewhat and she toddled off to join her friends once more.

* * *

We headed south. As we pressed on through the sun bleached terrain a flash of light caught my eye. It was the sun's brilliance ricocheting off the polished scarab of a small sword. It hung from Vaan's belt, moving in time with his steps. He was obviously expecting his conquest to be treacherous and that made my stomach clench into a fist with apprehension. It would seem he wasn't going to easily be deterred from his quest.

"So we're making a sunstone, huh?" Pried Penelo.

"It's the only way to get into the palace's treasury." He shrugged.

"And just how are you planning to get into the palace?" I asked, my eyes not breaking from the sword.

"Through the Garamsythe Waterways." Vaan answered offhandedly as if it were common knowledge.

"The waterways that have rats the size of Moogles?"

"Yeah. Why? You want me to check if one of them has eaten your dog?" He questioned, his tone brimming with sarcasm.

"No, I was just wondering maybe if that was why you've got that sword with you. It looks new."

"Did you buy that?" Penelo snatched at the sword and freed it of its sheath to inspect its blade. It was of a simple design and appeared light due to the way she was able to effortlessly hold it up and scrutinize its form.

"Yes, I did. Now gimme it back!" His swiftness came into good use as he darted forward and grabbed at the sword.

"How much did you spend on that?" She asked in an irritated tone. It was obvious from her face that we probably had no leftovers from the Boscobel Oak fiasco.

"I did a hunt for Tomaj this morning, the money I gained I spent on this."

"You did a hunt?"

"Well if I can't steal the money I had to find another way to get it."

"I can't make up my mind which of your two get-rich-quick schemes is the more dangerous!"

"Oh Please, it was a cinch!"

"I'm sure it was, just like you wading through the waterways is going to be hassle free also."

There was a glimpse of anxiety present in her demeanour, although it was too slight for Vaan to see, I caught it. It made sense now. Penelo was playing it cool and not outwardly showing her annoyance and apprehension towards Vaan's seemly self-destructive mission. She was smart enough to know that her disagreeing or forbidding him to try such an idiotic idea would only push him further into actually doing it. I decided to follow her lead and also be somewhat indifferent in helping Vaan.

"Any way, you need to carry weapons when you're in the deserts or plains. Did either of you think to bring any?" He asked as he sheathed the sword and continued trekking onwards.

"I have my dagger and Edie has been taught how to conjure a blizzard spell."

"Oh yeah? I bet that's amusing to watch."

"Well then, allow me to show you" I growled, positioning myself into my magick caster's stance.

"That won't be necessary." Penelo hindered my concentration before I could even think of the spell's words. "Besides you haven't cast it upon a live target yet."

Vaan snickering only made me want him to indeed by my first live target. I'd freeze his lips together so he couldn't speak.

A different snickering caused me to be pulled from my thoughts of revenge. It was deeper, gruffer and most defiantly not that of a human. A desert hyena was hesitantly making its way towards us. The creature had no need to fear us, after all, it was adamantly equipped with its own weapons: long, razor shape incisors and a horn that would rival a rhino's. It was merely measuring our evasiveness and defence. It was also doing what all predators did when they hunted, looking for the easy target. Vaan drew his sword, his body already in a swordfighter's stance. Penelo copied his motions.

"Edie, you stay behind us, okay? If it gets past either of us, run to the Crystal Glade." I nodded dumbly. My mouth suddenly felt like it was made of sand. Was this really going to happen? Were they really going to fight this savage animal?

Vaan met the animal head on in an impressive display of bravery. The two were worthy rivals as they were both accustomed to using a medley of swift attacks that didn't contain much momentum. Penelo hung back from the commotion and would only strike when the animal's defence dropped for a split second. It was clear that their battle plan had been tried and tested before, because they knew their roles well, Vaan was the antagonist and Penelo the defence.

I may have been a safe enough distance from the scuffle but I was terrified. My heart thrashed against my ribcage as if it wished to escape, I could feel its feverish beat pounding in my throat and stomach. A metallic taste crept into my already dry mouth and coated my tongue, sending it numb and useless. My skin felt like it was as sticky as tar due to the prickling sweat covering it in a slick layer. If I were in any other situation I would have thought I was having a panic attack.

_Calm down you idiot! You're not going to be any good to anyone unconscious!_ I scolded myself, annoyed by my own cowardliness.

Meanwhile, my suddenly oversensitive hearing could hear the clash of metal against bone, the feral cry of the beast and my friends shouting to one another how to proceed. This whirlwind of sounds ripped my attention from my panic-stricken symptoms. I watched with my eyes a wide.

They had changed their strategy. Penelo, who was probably the weaker fighter, was distracting the hyena. She gained its attention by deliberately letting her guard down so that it would think of her as an easy target. It charged at her, jaws snapping, and just as I thought my nerves was going to knock to the grown I saw she gracefully outmanoeuvre it, like a matador. It was as if she wasn't fighting, she was dancing a violent ballet, just like those spinning tops.

Vaan took advantage in the deliberate distraction and thrust his sword into the hyena's fur. It yelped in a mixture of pain and revelation before turning to retaliate. He quickly withdrew and while he was now the one who held the foe's attention, Penelo slashed at the animal's back before darting away again. Despite of how well they were doing I still felt uneasy, surely it would figure out their pattern.

_Then why aren't you helping them? They're your friends._

But how could I help? I was a novice, I didn't even have a weapon and the only magick I could cast had only been used against stoic rocks. I could see why Penelo had mentioned how tricky pushing the magick onto a live target could be. It was constantly moving.

_Stop being a wuss and give it a go! _

I did want to do it, but I was apprehensive of Vaan or Penelo's safety. What happens if I accidentally cast the blizzard spell on one of them, the results would be dire. I stood their deliberating whether or not I should get involved. Would I be of help or hindrance?

_Venga ya, inútil! Hacerlo! (Come on, useless! Do it!)_

I nodded in agreement to my subconscious' urging and strode forward a few shaky steps. Once I was sure I was close enough to cast the magicks but far enough away not to be a nuisance, I began to sink into my mind. After the afternoon of practice I had endured, I managed to summon the Mist quite quickly.

_Wintry wrath I summon thee.. Use thy shards to thwart the enemy! _

The mist pulsed through my being, rattling my bones in an almost euphoric energy and I opened my eyes. Vaan and Penelo continued their onslaught and even though the hyena did seem weaker, its evasiveness had greatly improved. I focused on its quickly moving form. Its fur was matted with its own blood, its teeth was stained a sinister pink- had it bitten one of them? Its dark eyes were wild and scheming. It was my target.

I forced the Mist from my being, my attention transfixed on the hyena as it lunged forward to snap at Penelo. A long second passed but then, abruptly, deadly sharp splinters of ice crystallized above the fiend, before plunging down upon it. I was ecstatic, it had worked, I could now finally cast a magick spell well enough to be worthy in a battle. Best of all, I hadn't injured the two teenagers. The hyena snarled in annoyance and whirled around in my direction. It was galloping towards me before I was even aware that I was in danger. It broke past Vaan and Penelo's attempts to bring to a halt it. It no longer was interested in them because its easy kill had been located.

"Edie! Run!" Penelo cried as her feet took flight.

The distance between the beast and I was closing fast. I turned and burst into a sprint. The thud of my sandals against the ground matched the thud of my already quickened heartbeat. The terrain was full of obstacles. I faltered many a time, stumbling and tripping, but always moving. It was still behind me. I had to get away. Gasping for breath, I push on, hurtling headlong. It followed relentlessly. A sob of terror burst from my chest. My lungs were going to explode if I didn't stop soon.

Then there was the abrupt sound of pain riddled howl that cut through the dry air. I skidded to a stop and turned around, fearing the worse- had it doubled back and attacked them?

A gruesome sight assaulted my eyes. Vaan stood over the hyena, which was suspiciously still now. Its mouth was agape, giving me a better view of its large fangs. Vaan's sword had skewered the hyena's body, entering through the back at an angle so the sword's tip protruded from its stomach. Seemingly unaffected by the gore before him, he firmly placed his shoe onto the corpse and used it as leverage to help him yank his sword free. It came away with the audible crunch and the beast slumped further to the ground, its body resting in an unnatural position. Blood pooled around it and its scent was upturned by the almost non-existent breeze. The heady metallic smell made my stomach churn warningly, although I paid it no attention. My attention was still focused on the blood slick sword that Vaan held. Its deep crimson shade painted the entire length of the blade and thick, syrupy droplets fell from the sword's tip onto the dry plain.

"Edie? Did you hear me? It's okay, you're safe now." Penelo's soft girlish voice swam into focus, as if it had been muffled before.

Vaan wiped his blade with a rag before sheathing it again and made his way over to us. From the small smirk that was causing a corner of his mouth to curl up, I could tell I probably looked as bad as I felt.

"She okay?" He asked in an uninterested tone, his hands on his hips.

"I'm fine." I mumbled.

"It's always rough, the first time you have to fight a fiend." Penelo reassured. "And I can't believe you managed to cast blizzard magicks upon that hyena! You must be gifted! It took me longer than a day to do such a thing!" I could tell she was trying to cheer me up, make me feel better about stupidly putting myself in danger, but I played along anyway. I smiled and nodded and once my legs were steady enough, we soon continued walking.

* * *

It was only a small stretch of plain, but the Crystal Glade had one of those strange black rocks squatting on its ground. Slumped up against it was a young boy. His appearance was similar to all the other nomad kids. He was dressed in dusty clothes made from light, breezy fabrics and had tanned skin due to his exposure to the sun. He perked up when he saw the three of us walking towards him, but didn't rise from his sitting position.

"Are you Jinn?" Vaan questioned.

"Yeah, my name's Jinn… what's it to ya?" He peered up at us suspiciously. It was obvious we didn't look like nomads, so it was a bit strange we would know his name.

"Masuya sent us, she's wants you to come back to the village."

"Really? Hmm, that could be a problem. Let's see maybe my leg's better now."

He pulled himself up from the ground only using his good leg and the rock to steady him. He then gingerly attempted to take a step forward with his injured leg. His face scrunched up as he winched in pain and quickly transferred his weight back to his good leg, before crumbling back down to the ground. It seems Camina had been right to worry.

"Nope, no good-still hurts. I tripped running from some monsters...guess I pulled something. I'm never gonna get any sunstones made like this. I just needed to make one more to be finished for today. I didn't want to head back short, so I thought I'd give my leg a rest and try again." He sighed heavily, downtrodden by his misfortune. His light brown eyebrows pulled together into his previous look of mistrust and he asked, "Why are you out here looking for me, anyhow?"

"We came to the village looking for a sunstone, but you hadn't returned with today's batch yet, so Masuya sent us out looking for you." Vaan explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So you need a sunstone, huh? Well, if Masyua doesn't mind, I'll give you a shadestone. But I'm still not sure I can walk yet-you'll have to turn it into a sunstone, okay? Don't worry, I'll tell you how. You do know that we use dark crystals and shadestones to make sunstones, right?" He said as he rummaged in a small rucksack that had been resting at his side. Vaan shook his head and Jinn sighed, probably annoyed at our ignorance. He pulled a smooth, oval stone from the bag and extended his hand, offering it to the older boy.

"There's your shadestone."

Both Penelo and I moved closer to Vaan so we could have a look at the strange object that was now nestled in his open palm. It looked like an oversized, black pebble except when the light caught it you could see all manner of dark colours rippled in its form: violet, midnight blue, grey, burgundy and forest green. It was beautiful. I was surprised they didn't sell them for making into jewellery.

"As for the dark crystals," Jinn informed, interrupting our gawping, "you'll find them all over Giza Plains. This stone right here beside me is one of the smaller ones." He gestured to the stone behind him. Its charcoal grey form protruded from the ground like a bad tooth. "The bigger crystals have something inside that soaks up sunlight and shines really bright. See that one over there?"

We all craned our necks to see what he was pointing out with his dirt encrusted finger. A stone similar in shape to the dark crystal in the Crystal Glade broke up the scenery of the plains. Its jagged form was slightly larger and radiated a strange hue that I couldn't really identify. It looked as if it were made of molten gold due to the swirl of different golden colours and the fact that it seemed to radiate light.

"If you take that shadestone I just gave you and bring it near one of those shining dark crystals, it will absorb the energy from it. There are four shining dark crystals in Giza right now. If you have trouble finding 'em, just stop and scan the horizon. There's no way to tell how much energy you can draw from any one crystal without trying. You shouldn't need to use all four, though." He extended his hand once more to Vaan and gave him something that looked like a thermometer.

"This gauge will show you how much energy the shadestone's absorbed. When it's full, you'll have yourself a sunstone! Once you've made the sunstone, bring it to me. I'll make sure it's up to snuff. See you back here when you're done!"

It was going to be a long afternoon.


	11. Chapter XI

Author's Note

Don't worry! I didn't forget about this Fanfiction. I've just been working my butt off over summer. I thought things would slow down by September but we're short staffed where I work so I basically have a second home! I've been working on this every spare moment due to all the reviews and people who are keeping tabs on it (everytime I log on here there's a new reader!) I didn't want to disappoint.

Also the Orgain-Cent book is actually in the game. It's one of the loot items that you can sell, although I did alter it's description a bit!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XI: Caught in the Crossfire**

"So how exactly do you draw the energy from the dark crystal?" Penelo asked as we stood near the looming, ragged pillar of light.

"I think you just hold it up to it and the shadestone draws energy from it. It can't be that hard to do if a little kid can do it."

"Then think of it as a back-up career for when your dreams of being a sky-pirate don't come true." I snickered. My suggestion was rewarded with a dirty look.

Once he refocused his attention back to the task at hand, Vaan held aloft the shadestone. We watched with fascination as the black pebble began to change colour. The molten gold from the dark crystal was seeping into the stone and churning together with the other hues until it devoured them. Once it had absorbed enough power, the stone was a deep golden brown tone. Vaan held the energy gauge against it. The three of us watched as the thermometer like device measured the power now nestled in the stone. It reached 50 percent.

"Well that was easy, we're halfway there." Penelo smiled.

"Yeah now all we have to do is walk all the way over there." I mumbled pointing out the next nearest dark crystal that scraped the horizon.

It was a fair distance to the other stone and I was tired from my encounter with the hyena. As I trudged onwards, slightly behind Vaan and Penelo, I sighed and looked down at my feet. Each step I took disrupted the dry earth and caused it to become airborne. A dry, dead shrub came into view. I wouldn't have paid it much attention if it weren't for something fluttering around one of its withered branches. I bowed and plucked the material free from the grasp of the shrub. The moment my fingers touched the wiry hair I knew what it was.

"Kaiser." It was his fur, his thick black fur. He had been here. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes scanning the plains for him. "Kaiser! Ven chico!" (Kaiser! Here boy!)

"Edie! What are you doing?" Hissed Vaan, obviously nervous that my shouting would gain unwanted attention.

"Look. It's Kaiser's fur. He's here somewhere."

"That could be hyena fur for all we know."

"No, no it isn't. Hyena's aren't black and their fur can't be this thick and wiry."

"So? There are plenty of other fiends it could belong to."

"We have to find him, he can't be far." I said turning away from him to once again search the horizon. "Kaiser!" I began to walk away from them both. It wasn't long before I heard quick, light footsteps starting after me.

"Edie." Penelo's voice was calming. I felt her hand on my arm. "We should keep moving towards the next dark crystal. If we stay here we'll attract fiends."

"But I have to find him." I sighed as I turned to face her.

"And you will. You're one step closer to finding him because now you know he isn't in Rabanastre anymore. It's just we haven't got enough supplies to go looking for him today."

"So you'd rather help Vaan with another of his _harebrained plans_, huh?" I asked her in a low voice as Vaan was evidently eavesdropping.

"If I get involved he'll get bored soon, trust me." She said. "We'll ask around at the camp when we return with a sunstone, okay?"

"Fine."

I loosened my grip on the tuft of fur. It was whisked away by the desert breeze.

The rest of the task had past in a blur due to my head swimming with thoughts. We had only had to travel to three of the dark crystals to fully charge the shadestone. Before I knew it we were back at the Crystal Glade. I guess that's the upside of fretting, it makes time fly.

"You did it already? Lemme see if it's any good." Said Jinn when we returned.

He held his hand outstretched, waiting. Vaan fished out the newly made sunstone from his pocket. It was now the same hue as the dark crystals. As Jinn went about turning the stone over and scrutinizing it, I pondered how much money it could fetch. Surely Vaan could just sell it and make do with the money he gained, instead of going through with this madman's mission.

"It will do." Praised Jinn, retuning the sunstone back to Vaan.

"How's the leg?" Penelo asked.

"I think it's better.." He rose like he had done the previous time, using the rock for support. "So here's what happened. Masyua's always warning us to stay away from the werewolves, right? Well, a bunch of us decided we'd have a little contest-see who's the bravest. It started out as a lark, but Tott said that none of us kids living on the plains should be scared of monsters... I guess I got carried away. Don't let any of the grown-ups know, though, okay?"

It seemed Jinn was a mini Vaan in the making, he even had that cheeky smirk plastered on his face. He tried his leg once more. This time it managed to bare his weight well enough. "Anyway's... my leg's feeling better now. Let's head back to the village. I'll race ya- try to keep up!"

With that he was off, he only paused once to turn and wave at us before dashing onwards towards the nomad camp. We all glanced at each other before breaking into a sprint. Although there was no chance we would catch him up, we were racing against each other.

I was wheezing by the time I caught up with them at the camp. Vaan smirked as I approached them.

"About time. It's a good job _you_ weren't running away from werewolves. They'd be picking you out of their teeth by now!"

"It wasn't an entirely a fair race. Edie had been doing a lot of running beforehand." Penelo justified for me, seems as I was still recovering my breath.

At that moment Jinn and a dark haired woman who assumed was Masuya, approached us.

"Jinn made it back safe and sound. He is a good boy, but how his mind wanders! He never thinks of the worry it causes me! I'm sorry if he was any trouble. Please, take these with my thanks." She held out a small knapsack. Penelo gratefully accepted it.

"Thank you. Really, it was no hassle."

"Yeah, we're used to dealing with troublesome boys." I said jokingly whilst gesturing to Vaan.

"Jinn gave you a sunstone, yes? I hope it will be of help to you."

As Vaan and Penelo were saying their goodbyes to Jinn and the other children, I walked over to the tent where Elder Brunoa was sat.

"Excuse me, Elder?"

"Yes?"

"By chance have you or any of the other members of your camp seen a black dog in the plains?"

"The black dog." She sighed heavily. "Some of the children had befriended it when out making sunstones, they wanted to bring it back to the camp but Terra disagreed saying it would frighten the Cocktrices so they brought the matter up at one of our assemblies. Some of the camp thought it would be wise to have a dog around to ward off fiends and guard the grounds. Terra still wasn't convinced. However, I decided to allow a trial, if the dog proved worthy and didn't hassle the livestock it could live with us."

"So what happened? Where is he?"

"The children were mistaken. That was no dog. T'was an entity in the guise of a dog. It is most dangerous. Luckily, it was confused and was easily frightened away from our camp. I had the children stay within our grounds for a week before they were allowed to once more venture out and make sunstones and even now there are watchmen position just beyond this plain in case it returns."

"Why.. Why is it so dangerous?"

"Edie! Come on! We've got to get back to town!" Shouted Penelo from the camp's gate. I noticed a nomad man with a bow and arrow leaning against the wooden post that marked the entrance to the camp. I whirled back round to face the old woman.

"Have you ever read the Orgain-Cent, Edie?"

"No.."

"Perhaps you should. Now go, your friends await."

All the way back to Rabanastre I mulled over what the Elder had said. It couldn't be Kaiser. He wouldn't harm anyone, not even a Giza Hare. I hoped he had moved on from the plains because it was clear if the camp came across him, they would kill him. It just didn't make sense, if only I had had more time to talk with the old woman.

"Penelo?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever read the Orgain-Cent?"

"My mother used to read it to me when I was a child. It's a book of fables, fairytales and folklore all written by a wayfarer who travelled throughout Ivalice. How come? Did you just remember something?"

"No... Elder Brunoa recommended that I read it to help restore my memory."

"Well it's a good suggestion, perhaps your mother read it to you when you were young." She said with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah... Maybe." Was all I could muster.

When we reached Rabanastre, Penelo halted causing me to pause and look over my shoulder at her. She was waiting for Vaan to catch up with her. He had lagged behind since she had gone into an in-depth explanation how the teleport stones Masuya had given us worked and how they differed from the city's Moogling service. I had never used either before.

"Hey, Vaan?"

He looked up from his bounty that we had gained this afternoon.

"It's been a long time since we did anything together. Too long. I had a really good time. Well, I should probably get back to the store. Actually, I was kind of supposed to watching the place for Migelo. And Vaan- stay out of trouble. For me? I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here... If something happened to you." The last bit sounded sad, thoughtful, a tone Penelo didn't use often with him.

"I'm not going anywhere. Okay?" I heard him reassure.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Penelo's perkiness was once again restored, making me relax my shoulders. I hadn't even realised how rigid I had been holding them throughout their brief exchange. "See you later!"

"Bye!" I chimed in an equally cheerful tone, just so he knew I had been listen in. He scowled at me.

Penelo once again joined my side, ignoring the hateful stare Vaan was firing in my direction. We left and entered the gates of Rabanastre, leaving the would-be sky-pirate with his thoughts.

"What was all that about?" I asked.

"Just making sure I made him feel guilty about his harebrained plan." She replied with a shrug.

"So all that _I don't know what I'd do without out you _stuff was all smoke and mirrors, right?" I said, trying my hardest to hide my amusement.

"What are you implying, _Tomaj's pet_?' She asked with a smirk.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just thinking perhaps we could double date." Her smirk soon faded, which in turn made mine become all the more evident. It was surprisingly easy to wind her up about this sort of thing.

"What are you talking about?"

"I thought you and Vaan had agreed to some kind of dinner together, remember?"

"Well Vaan's word is never set in stone, you know."

"Shame." I laughed, "It would have been entertaining."

We soon reached the merchant's district, which was still bustling with activity. Once we reached the Low Town door we stopped to say our goodbyes.

"I better get over to Migelo's." She sighed.

"Why did you ditch work? It's not like you."

"I don't know.. I guess lately all I've done is work and sleep- I might as well be a monk!"

It was true, all work and no play was a tedious combination.

"Well, the fete will be over and done with tonight so maybe your workload will ease up."

"You mean like yours has." She said, jokingly.

She was referring to my lax time schedules that Tomaj let me get away with. I suppose it was partly my fault, I should have just kept on working when he tried to dismiss me.

"You know what? I'm going back to the Sandsea to finish my shift."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can't be classed Tomaj's pet if I work the same hours as everyone else."

It was decided. I'd go back and work until the tavern closed. The other waitresses might even be grateful that I was helping out. It was bound to be hectic due to most of the Imperial guards having to attend the fete for security.

I stopped by the apartment to pick up some things before work. I entered to find Filo, Johm and Fidget sat around the table. Nearly all the kids had a key to our apartment so they could come and go as they pleased. I had soon come to discover that was why Migelo donated so much food to us all the time, it was for everyone. They were playing a card game and as usual, Filo was winning.

"Hi, Edie! Wanna play?" She beamed.

"And lose a week's wage again? No thanks! I got to get to work, anyways."

"I thought Tomaj gave you the afternoon off?"

The one thing about the Low Town that you could depend on was that news travelled fast and in the close nit community, nothing went unnoticed.

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd help out anyway." I shrugged.

"Okay. See you later."

"Penelo shouldn't be too long, why don't you guys wait for her seems as Vaan's probably going to be back late."

"Yeah, I heard about his harebrained plan..."

I said goodbye and left them to their game.

As I was walking back, I paused outside Old Dalan's house. The old man had already given me a book on Dalmasca and the country's history, perhaps he had a copy of the book Elder Brunoa had mentioned. I entered the cramped living quarters to be greeted by the pungent scent of smoking tobacco, which smelt much sweeter than regular cigarette smoke. Old Dalan always had a pipe in his mouth, as if it were an extension of his being. I had come accustom to the smell when I had been taught how to sing Dalmascan folksongs.

"Ah, if you are wanting to hinder our dear sky-pirate in waiting's plan, you have come too late." He greeted.

"I knew Vaan was too well informed. Why help him Dalan? It's just going to cause us all more bother."

"His is a restless spirit. It must be quenched now and then with adventure."

"I think you mean stupidity."

"Do not be riled so easily, girl. The boy can handle himself well enough for this escapade, I assure you. Now, how are you? Is your memory still ill?"

"Actually, that's why I came to see you." I suddenly felt slightly insecure that I was the one now under scrutiny, not Vaan. "I was with Vaan when he made the sunstone. When we were at the nomad camp in the Giza Plains, I spoke with Elder Brunoa... She told me I should read Orgain-Cent."

"Hmm, yes. A good choice of literature. I assume you know nothing of the book, no?"

"Only that it's tales written by a traveller who journeyed all over Ivalice."

"That it is. It is also now considered a rare book. Many volumes were destroyed due to its author writing about how the Kilitas' religion was hypocritical in its teachings. I'm afraid I do not have a copy."

"Do you have any idea where I could find one?"

"I can only suggest you search the Technick shops and venders. They sell an array of literature, some to do with the art of war and combat, others to tell tales of travellers past."

"Thank you, Dalan." He slowly nodded, still staring. "I have to go."

"Pity, I was hoping to hear you sing." He chuckled. "My luck I bid to you."

"Thanks." I said before leaving him.

* * *

"Edie, what are you doing here?" Tomaj asked whilst he was skilfully filling four tankards, one straight after the other without cutting the draught flow. I gestured to the mob of civilians. "Okay. Fine. Table 8, 2 and 4 need clearing, table 10 needs cutlery and take these tankards to 1." He loaded the four tankards onto a tray and gave it to me.

The night whirled by. I always enjoyed shifts that were like this, sure it was chaotic but it was fun. By closing hours the crowd slowly diminished into the usual rabble of regular customers. This meant I could slip away into the kitchen and begin cleaning up. As I stood polishing cutlery, Mido, one of the waitresses, entered. She was carrying plates all of which were skilfully stacked up her arms and as usual she didn't bother regarding my presence.

"Oh, you're still here then." She said eventually after one of her usual icy silences, which was only filled with the sound of her scraping the plates.

I had a feeling that it was Mido who had given me the nickname I loathed. She was of a similar age to me however she acted like a catty teenage girl most of the time. I think it was because she had a soft spot for Tomaj.

"I'm here until closing." I shrugged.

"Good, you can clean the coffee machine." She said before exiting the kitchen.

I hated cleaning the coffee machine. I almost always managed to scold my hands. I sighed and continued buffing up some spoons.

After all the cutlery, plates, appliances and surfaces where clean I untied my pinafore and hung it up beside the others, then reached for my shoulder bag. I was tired but it was worth it, all of the girls had said goodbye before they left, something they had stopped doing around the same time I acquired my nickname. I was making headway, at least. A couple more shifts like this I might even have some new friends. The thought reminded me of Penelo. I had better hurry home, she'll be worried about Vaan.

"Goodnight, Tomaj!" I called over my shoulder, He was sweeping the balcony.

"'Night" He grunted.

As I was about to open the door, a distant sound caused me to hesitate. It sounded like the faraway rumble of thunder. However, it was still the dry season, the rains weren't for another couple of months.

"What is it?" Questioned Tomaj, who sounded puzzled by my actions.

"I don't know." I said quietly, still straining to hear the noise. Tomaj's footsteps broke up the strange faint roar. "Something's not right."

I opened the door. The night air only confirmed my suspicions. It was tainted with the smell of gunpowder and fire. We both stepped outside and dumbly looked around trying to find the source of the commotion. Two Imperial guards rushed past us surprisingly swiftly for men who were clad in heavy armour. They hadn't even acknowledged us as they flew past. "What's going on?" I thought aloud. I was a little taken back how small and fearful my voice had become. The sound of a distant explosion caused the two of us to whip round and look in the direction of the palace. My eyes grew wide at the sight of the orange tinged night sky.

"The Resistance is attacking." Tomaj said. "I guess it wasn't just a rumour."

"B-but Migelo is in the palace!" I gasped before bolting in the direction of the upper-class district.

"Edie!" I heard Tomaj shout. I ignored him. He soon caught up with me and seized my arm.

"Come on, let go! We've gotta go find him!" I tried futilely to jerk my arm free of his grasp.

"Calm down! He'll be safe. He was dinning with Vayne Solidor, himself. I'm sure Archadia's finest won't let anything happen to his Excellency or his guests."

He was right. Migelo was probably in the safest spot in Rabanastre right now. Still, it didn't appease my worrying. But what could I do? It was a pretty dumb idea to walk blindly into the crossfire. I would probably end up needing to be saved myself.

"We should head back to the Low Town. If any guards come across us here they'll probably accuse us of being in cahoots with the Resistance." He slowly released my arm, still unsure if he had convinced me. I sighed and nodded.

There was a small crowd in front of the gates to the Low Town and voices were raised high in panic. Tomaj and I hurried over to see what was problem. The crowd were all shop or tavern owners and workers, everyone who had an extended curfew. The gate had been locked, trapping everyone else in the Low Town. People were huddled around the door calling to loved ones to check if they were all right.

"They locked the gates, those bastards!"

"They're trapped down there like rats!"

"This is why they wanted us all underground because they knew if the Resistance attacked, us common folk would be fighting alongside them!"

"We should rip these gates open! Come on, somebody lend a hand!"

"No! Wait!" Boomed Tomaj, silencing the crowd on either side of the gates. "If we do that, they'll see to it we're punished saying that we destroyed public property."

"They can't do any worse to us than they already have!" One man growled. It was Yurgi, the magick shop owner.

"Someone will bound to be injured if we break the gate down."

"So just what do you suggest we do, Tomaj? My wife is down their alone and scared half to death!"

"Look, the attack won't last long and when it's over the first thing the guards are gonna do is check we've been good, law abiding citizens. I say we lie low, act as they would expect us to act."

"What? Just roll over and let them treat us like this?" Yurgi spat.

"Whatever. Do as you please, break down the gate, comfort your wife, but I can guarantee you they'll strip us of our businesses and livelihoods as punishment."

Yurgi paused, obviously weighing up the matter. Everyone had been listening to the debate. We all remained silent, only the far-off crackle of the war between the Imperials and the Resistance could be heard.

"Fine. You speak sense." Yurgi said eventually. "So what now?"

"We get off the streets for tonight. I open my doors for you all, come."

The crowd agreed with Tomaj and soon started to move away from the gate. That was when I noticed a familiar face pressed up against the bars of the wrought iron doors.

"Kytes!" I quickly moved towards the gates. "Kytes are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was lookin' for you, actually. Penelo's worried."

"Where is she? Go get her, please." He nodded and pushed his way back through the crowd, who were lingering to say goodnight to loved ones on the other side of the gate. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, impatiently drumming my fingers on one of the gate's bars.

"Edie!" Came Penelo's voice from amongst the swell of people.

"Penelo!"

She pushed through and soon was right in front of me on the other side. I was so glad to see her, even though it had only been a few hours since I last saw her.

"Thank the gods you're safe!

"I'm fine, don't worry. We're all going to the Sandsea for the night."

"Okay.." I could tell she was fretting about something, that little frown line was back again.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

"I don't know where Vaan is..."

I couldn't believe it. That little bugger had gone ahead with his harebrained plan afterall!

"Oh, don't worry, Penelo." I said softly and slipped my hand through the bars to find hers. She held it with a fierce grip. "Vaan can handle himself pretty well. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"But the battle... what if he.." Her eyes were glassy and her hand was shaking.

"Come on, it's Vaan we're talking about. He can worm his way out of any sticky situation!" I said light-heartedly.

"I lied. I lied earlier... I really wouldn't know what I'd do without him."

Anger churned in my stomach. How could Vaan do this to her? I wanted to inflict a good deal of pain on the adolescent idiot.

"He probably didn't even make it to the palace. I bet his wandering around the waterways trying to distinguish up from down! Now go back to the apartment and get some sleep... I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

She nodded and let go of my hand.

"Goodnight." She said.

"Sleep tight." I replied.

I moved along with the rest of the crowd. Tomaj had gone ahead to open the tavern. When I entered the Sandsea the atmosphere was grim. Gone was the cheerful drunken banter, cigarette smoke and split beer and in its place was a sombre silence. Everyone made themselves comfortable for the night. I approached Tomaj who was leaning against the bar.

"You enjoyed that didn't you?" I asked with a smirk.

"You know I kinda did. I'd make a great leader. Forget Vayne, I'd be twice the consul that aristocratic waste of space could ever be!"

"All hail Tomaj, man of the people." I said sarcastically. "'Night your Excellency."

I found a spot near the bar where I could comfortably curl up and sleep for the night. I used my bag as a pillow. I couldn't sleep. My mind was alight with anxiousness and for once it wasn't about if I'd ever manage to get home. It was about Penelo.

* * *

In memory of Luna, who died earlier this month by the hand of another.


	12. Chapter XII

Author's Note:

I'm finally getting more time off from work and have been itching to write the Nalbina Dungeons part of the game thanks to listening to way too much Plan B! As always thanks for your reviews and alert subscriptions. :)

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XII: Welcome to Hell**

I managed to snatch a few hours of sleep. When dawn came around the sound of someone knocking loudly on the tavern's door disrupted my disjointed dreaming.

"Open up! This the Imperial guard! There are still insurgence members at large! I want everyone to have their civilian certificates at the ready so we can account for everyone last night!" Barked the guard from the other side of the door.

Any sleepiness was effortlessly wiped from my mind at these words. It suddenly went into overdrive. If they saw my civilian certificate I was done for. They were probably still looking for Penelo, Vaan and I. The lights flickered on and everybody rummaged through their belongings for their certificates. A man who had been sleeping near the door moved to open it. I hauled myself up from the floor, ignoring the pain that was throbbing up and down my spine due to sleeping on such an uncomfortable surface. I quickly moved to where Tomaj was stood at the other end of the bar, stepping over people and their bags as I went.

"Hide me." I said in a hushed voice.

"What?" He said. If his eyebrows had jolted any higher they would have joined his hair.

"A few days ago I did something stupid and if they see my certificate they're gonna know it was me! Please, Tomaj, hide me."

There was a brief pause as he was thinking the situation through. I heard the sound of the heavy doors being opened, they always creaked loudly. "Please." I pleaded.

"The storage room, quick."

We quickly ducked into the kitchen. There was a door on the back wall that led to the storage room. Tomaj pulled a large key-ring that was heavy with keys of all shapes and sizes. Despite the amount of keys, he managed to find the right one quick enough. The door opened to reveal barrels, kegs of ale and large wooden crates. They were big enough for a person to fit in.

"Here, this one's empty. Get in." He yanked open the crate's top. I climbed in and looked up at him, waiting for him to replace the lid. "Be quiet. I'll come get you when they've gone." I nodded. He closed the lid and the darkness engulfed me.

* * *

Tomaj hurriedly exited the storage room and locked it again. Just as he left the kitchen he snatched up a small, leather folder.

"You there! Care to explain why you were back there, in the kitchen?" A guard asked when he entered the bar. Another guard barged past him to go check the kitchen.

"My apologies. I'm the owner of this tavern. I thought you would need to see my licence and other documents for this establishment. I have to keep them in the kitchen otherwise they'd get soaked with spilt ale."

"All clear." Confirmed the other guard as he left the kitchen.

"Very well. Your documentation, please."

Tomaj handed over the folder and looked around while the guard checked it. There were three of them, including this one. The other two were going over all the civilian certificates.

"Tomaj Baal, so it was you who suggested everyone came back here."

"I didn't think you'd want us all loitering in the streets." He explained with a smile.

"Yes, very good of you to take such liberties. I only wish more people were as responsible. Your paperwork checks out." He handed back the folder with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll be out your hair soon enough."

"Oh, please take your time. I probably won't open today anyway due to all of my good clients such as yourself being busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack."

"That's true, but I'm sure by tomorrow this place will back to its usual lively ambience. I'll see you then, good day."

"Good day, sir."

As soon as the guard turned his back, Tomaj dropped the polite smile that had been etched on his face throughout the conversation. He hated it when he had to be civil to the likes of the Imperials, still it was the most efficient way of dealing with them.

It took over an hour for the guards to check and log everyone's details. Once everyone had gone, he locked the doors just in case any of the guards decided to take advantage of their rank and have a swift drink before carrying on with their duties. He had been pretty shocked when Edie had asked him to hide her. He had always thought she was such a well behaved girl, a little odd maybe but defiantly not the kind to do something reckless. He hurried to the storage room.

* * *

I tried to shift my position so I could sit more comfortably but it was impossible. My limbs were throbbing with a dull ache due to them begin constricted for so long. I couldn't really hear anything, only the dripping of water hitting the floor from a leaking pipe overhead. Its steady beat merged with the drumming of my heart. The door abruptly jerked open, making my heart splutter. Had the guards figured out I was hiding here? The lid of the crate came away to reveal it was only Tomaj.

"They've gone?" I asked, pretending not to notice the annoyed look that was decorating his face.

I rose from my cramped hiding place and carefully climbed out of the crate. My leg was asleep, which made the simple task twice as challenging.

"What did you do?" He said in a snipped tone.

I sighed. It was only fair I told him since he had helped me.

"The night we performed at the Boscobel Oak while me and Penelo performed for the Archadians, Vaan stole their wallets. It was a plan he had come up with when he had heard the Oak was looking for performers to entertain the guards. It went without a hitch, we got a lot of money but the one thing Vaan hadn't thought of was that we had to register for a later curfew to the usual one. They have our names on file. If they had seen my civilian certificate they would have thrown me in the dungeons no questions asked."

"And Penelo agreed to this? Doesn't seem the kinda thing she'd do."

"No, she had no idea. She just thought we were doing some extra work. She found out after though... didn't speak to either of us for a day."

"It also doesn't seem the kind of thing you'd do."

"The rent had gone up, that's why we're working for you as well as Migelo, but it still didn't seem enough..."

"So now what? You going to be able to keep out of their way?"

"I've managed so far." I shrugged.

He sighed, shaking his head. My leg was beginning to wake up, it tingled painfully.

"You better get going. I'm not opening up today so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you for hiding me."

"I never thought I'd have to say this to you, but stay out of trouble, okay?"

"I will." I said with a nod.

The sun had fully woken up and was bearing down on Rabanastre with the full force of its rays. I walked near to the buildings so I would be protected by the shade their looming forms created. Luckily, it was a short distance from the Sandsea to the Low Town so I managed to reach my destination before getting too hot. I hoped Penelo was okay. I immediately lied to myself, something I often did when I was fretting. _She's fine! I bet Vaan's already back from waltzing around the waterways and she's giving him an ear full on how stupid he was and how he should never do it again!_ My pace quickened.

Once in the Low Town, I noticed it was surprisingly quiet. It was probably because people had been up all night worrying and wondering about what had happened. As I turned round a corner I suddenly saw why it was so deserted everywhere else. A crowd had gathered in front of the door that led to the waterways. There were plenty of soldiers scuttling about, making sure everyone stayed back a decent distance. Amongst the crowd was a familiar face. Penelo. I hurried over to her.

"Hey."

"Edie!" She hugged me tightly. "Are you alright?" She asked. She had released me but kept contact by holding my hand.

"I'm fine. What's going on?"

"I think the Archadian guards have caught some Resistance members in the waterways."

"You want to make sure it's not Vaan, right?"

"Yeah..." She said not taking her eyes off the doorway.

The suspects were soon marched out. They were quite an odd bunch. First, there was a girl with short brown hair and a strange outfit which included a pink miniskirt. Then, a man with brown hair who seemed completely unfazed by the fact he had been arrested, which gave me the impression this wasn't his first offence. There was another woman, who at first glance I had thought was really tall but as I focused my attention on her I noticed the reason why. She had large, white, rabbit ears that sprouted from the top of her head. A Viera! I had seen drawings of them in the book Old Dalan had given me. However, this Viera looked nothing like the others, who had been depicted frolicking in a woodland scene. She was fierce looking. She had what appeared to be black armour on, yet it didn't seem all that practical as if it was merely to define her form rather than protect her, this only exaggerated her warrior like appearance.

"Vaan!" I heard Penelo gasp.

I had been too busy gawping at the strange creature to notice that bringing up the rear of the group was indeed, Vaan. She pushed through the crowd. I was quick on her heels, the last thing we needed was for her to be arrested too. By the time we had broken through, the girl in the pink skirt had been ushered away by a gabble of guards.

"Wait!" Penelo shouted and dashed forward.

"Where do you think you're going?" One guard demanded whilst he and another blocked her path.

"He didn't know what he was doing! You have to let him go! You have to!" The guards quickly seized her.

"Hey! Come on leave her alone, it's not her fault!" I growled.

"You'll be dealt with as well if you don't shut it!"

"Penelo!" Called Vaan, "Sorry." He lifted his hands up to show that they were shackled. "That dinner'll have to wait."

"I told you." She said in a thin, wavering voice.

"That's enough!" Barked the guard who was at Vaan's side. He clipped the boy around the head to silence him. This only upset Penelo further and she wriggled free of the guards' grasp before dashing towards her friend.

"Penelo!" I moved to stop her but was greeted by a wall of armour.

Surprisingly, the brown haired man intervened. He simply stepped in the way of Penelo's path, a white handkerchief in one of his bound hands. He offered it to her.

"Hold on to this for me, would you? Just until I bring Vaan back." She took it from him and held it in both hands. His gesture seemed to have calmed her somewhat. I pushed past the guards and went to her side.

"Thank you." I said looking at him. He wasn't that much older than me and from the amused smirk and the way he seemed to be handling this whole situation he was incredibly self-assured, cocky even.

"You! Here, now!" Bellowed the guard that had hit Vaan. It seemed he had hit him harder than I thought as Vaan was picking himself up off the floor. The guard marched up to Mr. Arrogant and shoved him in the direction of Vaan and the Viera.

"Alright, alright. Edgy, aren't we?" He remarked.

After they were escorted away, I turned to face Penelo. She was still tightly clutching the handkerchief with both hands.

"Who was that guy?"

"I-I don't know..." She mumbled, still staring straight ahead.

"Penelo, don't worry. Whatever Vaan's managed to get himself caught up in, we'll get it out of him. Surely prisoners can get appeals. We should go down to the parliament offices-"

"And what? Have him excused? We're criminals too, Edie. They'll lock us up!" She was upset and tearful. She had been through a lot of stress during the last day or so, with everything that had happened. I wrapped my arms around her. People were still lingering, their attention to the arrest now was placed on us.

"What are you lookin' at?" I spat. This was a good enough indication to tell them to move on, which most of them did. "Penelo, you're tired, you should go back to the apartment and try and get some sleep. I'll cover your shift at Migelo's."

"No, you don't have to."

"But I want to."

She nodded.

* * *

I opened the door to Migelo's Sundries and entered. The fact that the shop wasn't open yet confirmed that Migelo was still at the palace, he was probably being question as a procedure. I went about setting the shop up for opening. Whoever had closed up hadn't swept up the sand and dust that normally coated the flagstone tiles. This meant it was probably Kytes and seems as both he and Penelo had been temporarily trapped in the Low Town, he closed up early. _Slacker._ I inwardly grumbled. This was a trait that had no doubt been obtained when hanging around Vaan for too long. I sighed and began sweeping up. As my mind raced to draw up ways to get Vaan out of the dungeons, the abrupt sound of someone rapping loudly on the shop's door disrupted me.

"This is the Imperial guard. Is anyone present?"

My heart leaped up into my throat. I stayed deadly still. I daren't even breathe too loudly.

"Come on girl, open up! We know you're in there! We saw you enter not but ten minutes ago!"

"Shit!" I whispered. I went to the door and opened it. On the other side stood two guards.

"Sorry, I was in the stockroom." I held open the door and gestured for them to enter. I was going to need to be politeness personified to keep this encounter brief. "Is there something in particular you need? I've already been accounted for, for last night this morning at the Sandsea if that's what you've come about."

"Oh, we're not here for that. There's another regiment working on it. We're here to pick up the shop's tax payment for this month."

"I'm sorry the owner isn't here, I think he's still at the palace because of what happened. Can you come back later?"

"'Fraid not. The payments have to be made on time or we take disciplinary action against the business. Here, this month's charge."

He handed me a scroll. I unravelled it and scanned the document for the amount. It was 1,504 Gil. I silently prayed yesterday's takings would cover it. I moved behind the counter and unlocked the cash register with a small key that we hide under one of the tiles over night, just in case there is a break-in. There was only 550 Gil in it.

"Erm... Would it be okay if I paid what's in the till and Migelo can give you the rest when he returns?"

"No. Payment has to be made in full."

"But I don't have enough and this is all we have in the shop."

"So, are you saying you're refusing to pay the payment?"

"No, no I'm not I just can't. This isn't even my shop, I just work here. I didn't know that this had to be paid today. I sure Migelo had a lot to think about with the fete and everything."

"I want to see your civilian certificate please."

"What? Why?"

"Are you refusing to show me documentation as well as not paying the tax?"

"Of course not! I just don't think it's necessary.. It's not my shop."

"Failure to present documentation when asked by an Arachdian guard is a serious offence, one that could have you thrown in the dungeons."

I quickly scrambled around in my shoulder bag that was slung on the counter.

"Here."

I held it over the counter, my hand was trembling noticeably. The guard who had been doing all the talking snatched it from my quivering fingers. I hoped these two hadn't been at the Boscobel Oak that night, or that there wasn't a warrant for my arrest floating around the Archadian offices. He looked at it and handed it to the other guard, who in turn scrutinized it. They looked at each other and smirked. My eyes widened- they knew it was me! That smirk they had shared was one of satisfaction.

I bolted around the counter, managing to outmanoeuvre their attempts to stop me but as I reached the door a hand seized a fist full of my hair. The sheer strength of it caused my neck to snap back painfully. Tiny pinprick surges of pain attacked my scalp. If I carried on straining against the soldier's grip I was going to lose a sizable chunk of hair. I was just about to give in when my feet were swiftly knocked out from under me. The impact with the ground stole the air from my lungs and all I could do was gasp for more. A pair of gloved hands roughly pinned my arms behind my back and dragged me up from the floor. It was done so effortlessly, as if I were a mere ragdoll.

"Edie Navidson, you are under arrest for assisting the robbery of numerous officers of the Imperial guard on the night of 15th of Sept'ber as well as refusing to pay taxes, refusing to show documentation and violating the use of the extended curfew permit. Due to your residence being in the Low Town and your multiple offenses, you will not be allowed to stand trial. Your imprisonment is immediate."

"We've already thrown the little bastard who robbed us in the dungeons and now that we have you, your friend shouldn't be too hard to find. Your sentence could be shortened if you give us her location." The other guard said still smiling. That smirk was a nasty little smear across his face that I wanted to wipe off with my fist.

"Go.. to.. hell!" I gasped, feeling dizzy.

"Suit yourself, then. Clap her in irons." He said with a shrug to the talkative guard.

"Wait. Please, let me lock up the shop first. It isn't my business, please." I beg as they went about clasping my hands together in front of me ready to slap on the hefty looking handcuffs.

"Very well, but try anything foolish and you'll be dealt with, you got me?" Said the quiet one.

I nodded. He released my wrists.

"Good because unlike my partner here, I have no problems with striking women." It was obvious which one of them nearly scalped me then.

I held my hands up to show I was co-operating and shuffled back over to the counter to fetch my bag. My knees were bleeding from being knocked to the ground. I could feel the blood trickle down my leg.

Outside in the brilliant sunlight, my senses seemed to have recovered from being assaulted. This only resulted in my brain being able to now gauge how much pain I was in. My head ached, my knees stung and I could feel a cloud of bruising already blooming on my cheekbone, a result of my head been knocked as I had gone down. Despite all of this I managed to lock the shop's doors, although it did take me a couple of attempts to get the key in the lock seems as my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

I've never been arrested in my life. I hadn't even ever set foot in my hometown's local police station. The moment I had returned the key back into my bag, the quieter guard seized my wrists while the other secured them with the handcuffs. They marched me down the street until we reached some gates. Luckily, it was the left of the shop and wasn't far, but passersby still turned their heads to gawk and whisper.

A guard on the other gate nodded at them in recognition and opened the gates.

"You'll never guess who this is. Edie Navidson." The talkative guard informed his peer as we passed.

"Two down one to go, good work." He replied.

I was ushered along to a courtyard where two chocobos were enjoying a meal of greens. Near their undersized pen was a booth with another guard in it. He looked up from reading a newspaper.

"Gods, what did you do to that one?" He said, referring to my cuts and bruises.

"She was resisting arrest." Shrugged the quieter guard.

"Still, no need to beat the girl black and blue."

"That may have been the case if she hadn't had stolen our wallets. Don't you recognise her?"

The guard in the booth narrowed his eyes, studying my face. Suddenly, a look of recognition soon flickered across his features.

"The girl from the Oak!" He exclaimed, "'Bout time you found her. Well there's no more room in the wagon, after this one. There's been a new record in arrests made today. I've already sent the three carts full of offenders on their way to the Nalbina Dungeons. I'm down to my last two chocobos!"

"Good. The less delinquents on the streets the better. Did you get any Insurgence members passing through here?"

"You know I'm not allowed to disclose that information, his Excellency would have my head. Now, hand me her paperwork."

The guard in the booth went about logging down details from my passport before handing it back to my capturers.

I was slung into a large cart that was basically a cage on wheels. It was so medieval, here I was sat amongst other paupers and wrongly accused riffraff as the mobile prison moved through the streets of Rabanastre to one of the cities gates. I turned my back to the cage's bars. I didn't want anyone I knew to recognise me. My thoughts flickered to Penelo. First Vaan, now me, she was going to be devastated if she finds out. The cart soon moved from the city and into the desert. There was no protection from the midday sun, which bore down on us relentlessly and without mercy. I attempted to distract myself from the fact that my skin was blistering and my tongue had turned to stone by watching the pair of chocobos. They were up ahead, pulling the cart.

I had been with Penelo and Vaan when I first saw one...

_We were running an errand for Old Dalan and needed to speak with a Moogle named Gurdy at the South Gate. I had insisted I went along so I could explore Rabanastre so I could eventually get my bearings, just in case I had to stay here a while. _

"_Most of the city's import and export comes through the South Gate because of the Aerodrome, which can dock large cargo ships." Informed Penelo as we passed through the mammoth gate._

"_Since when did you become a tourist guide of Rabanastre, Penelo?" Vaan scoffed. _

_She playfully swatted at his head as a response. _

"_Anyway, traders also bring goods by chocobo-"_

"_Chocobo?" I said the alien word slowly too interested to care if I sounded like a dunce._

"_You don't know what a chocobo is?" Vaan jibed._

_I shook my head, ignoring his teasing tone. _

"_Over there in the pen, see? Those are chocobos." _

_I followed Penelo's outstretched hand to see what she was pointing at. Closed in by a wooden fence were birds as big as an ostrich, maybe bigger. I moved closer, dodging people as I went. They were huge, with strong, thick legs and feathers of bright yellow. I placed my hands on the fence. I could smell the hay they used to nest in. My eyes widened in disbelief. What was this creature? I had thought some of the races in Ivalice were bizarre but this one took rank as the weirdest. One of them trotted up to me as if it had noticed my staring. It cocked its head to the side, scrutinizing me as I had it. It had deep, blue eyes that showed a shimmer of intelligence behind them. It soon grew bored and whistled, ruffled its feathers and wondered off. _

"_You've never seen a chocobo before? What kinda backward village did you come from?" Vaan's voice broke my studying of the giant birds. I was growing tired of his attitude._

"_She has seen one before, Edie just probably doesn't remember. That's what happens when you lose your memory, Vaan!" Penelo snapped. _

That had been months ago and now such things as seeing chocobos had become an everyday normality. I shuffled around, trying to relive my cramped limbs and looked beyond the bars of the cage. The desert stretched out like a never-ending blanket of sand that was trimmed with the jagged form of distant mountains. Four soldiers moved along with the wagon, one on each side, one behind and one in front of the steeds that were pulling us. I couldn't decide if they were marching with the cart to keep its cargo safe from fiends or were present in case one of us was lucky, or stupid enough to escape. Escaping the cart would undoubtedly result in death, if the guards didn't claim your life the desert and it inhabitants surely would. I sighed and closed my eyes, she sun's sharp rays were irritating my already throbbing head.

* * *

I jolted awake when the wagon's wheels meet the cobbled surface of the Nalbina Fortress. The gigantic structure was surrounded by streets full of market venders, although there didn't seem to be any houses or accommodation, making me believe the vender's stalls doubled as their beds. The fortress itself appeared to be under reconstruction from the battle it had witnessed, the same battle that had claimed Lord Rasler's life. Craftsmen were hard at work cutting huge blocks of bleached sandstone, causing fine dust to coat the cobbles. We swerved behind the work site and entered another enclosed courtyard with its own booth, pen and horde of chocobos.

A guard approached one the soldiers that had been chaperoning the wagon.

"You bring us more to be cast off into the dungeons. Dare I hazard a guess that your ranks in Rabanastre are bored?"

"Not at all, sir. We are merely being cautious. All of the accused are citizens who weren't accounted for when the Insurgence attacked. We are wanting to rule out the possibilities that they are indeed within their operation."

"Are you saying all of these prisoners are to stand trial?"

"Only a hand full, the rest have previous or numerous offenses and therefore don't merit such a right."

"Very well, but please tell your superior I'm not going to be accepting this number of prisoners day after day. The dungeon is already overcrowded as it is, so he'll need to be diligent in future."

"Sir, yes sir!"

With their exchange over, the door to the wagon's cage was opened and one by one we climbed out. The guards then went about attaching sturdy chains to our handcuffs so that we were all linked up in one big miserable conga line. I looked over my shoulder to see Rabanastre's guards and their wagon leave.

"Eyes front!" Barked a soldier. I jerked my head round and set my eyes on the floor, not daring to look elsewhere.

"Forward march!" Another bellowed from the head of the line.

We slowly began to trudge forward. There were plenty of guards with weapons moving along with us. A large, wooden door with elegant metal detail opened. Surely this door had never been created to wind up as the entrance to a dungeon, it was too majestic.

I almost sighed in relief when I entered the fortress. I was finally out of the sun. We moved along, down a seemingly endless flight of wide stone steps. The collective sound of our footsteps echoed loudly. My heartbeat began to soar again. I suddenly had the feeling I was descending down into hell.

At the bottom of the stairway there was a large archway that led to a vast room that had intricate stone engravings, some of which had been damaged during the attack on the fortress. No-one had even bothered to sweep away the bits that had crumbled off and now littered the tiled floor.

"Halt!"

Everyone quickly stopped, causing me to bump into a large, red skinned Bangaa. He jerked his head round to scowl at me. He looked older that I had expected him to be.

"Right-turn!" The line shuffled so we now all faced forward, where a soldier stood. His armour suggested his was of a higher rank to the others.

"You are now prisoners of the Empire. You are here by stripped of your rights as civilians thus you shall be relieved of your personal effects and civilian certificates. Any failure to co-operate will be met with, with discipline."

The guards moved from their original positions to stand in front of us. There were five of them in total and roughly twenty of us. Despite us prisoners outnumbering them it didn't take me long to part us from our belongings. The guard that was going to remove my personal items eyed my shoulder bag. He drew a small dagger and cut the bag's long, thin, strap. It would have been impossible to remove it from me otherwise as I always wore it slung diagonally across one shoulder, like a messenger bag and due to my hands being bound in front of me. It landed on the floor with a thump. He then notice my hair pin and yanked it free from my hair. It hadn't really been holding that much of it up thanks to the other guard in Rabanastre pulling the vast majority of my hair free from it when he arrested me. I stood stock still all the while my jaw clenched tight trying not to cry. I could feel my bottom lip quivering, a tell-tale sign the waterworks were going to start. I attempted to stop it by clenching my hands into fists, my fingernails bit into the soft flesh of my palms.

"One at a time you are going to be released from the line and fitted with an identification cuff. Each cuff has a number which has been assigned to your name. From here fourth you shall be addressed by your number and nothing more. These cuffs are made from Thalassinon shell and therefore are more or less indestructible. They also double as an anti magicks device due to having a coat of Geocite- a cheap by product of Manufactured Nethicite- painted on the inner side of the cuff, meaning you will be unable to do your fellow prisoners or any of my men harm by magicks."

I waited my turn, as I did I stole glances at the prisoners who were going to be entering the dungeons with me. I didn't see any women. Were they just going to throw us all in together without a thought of sex, race or creed?

"Next. I said next! You there, quit your dawdling!" Growled the superior solider.

I quickly sprang forward and close the space between myself and one of the drones that were waiting to unshackle me from the remainder of the queue. After he had, he escorted me through another archway into a smaller room, where a different guard waited.

This other guard was sat on a stool, beside a make-shift work bench that displayed all manner of tools. He grabbed my handcuffs and slapped on a thick metal cuff on my wrist, just above my shackles. It was of a simple design, so simple it was almost ugly. In its centre a number was engraved- 178. I was prisoner 178. The guard went about securing it by turning a small bolt until the cuff was snugly resting against my skin. He then placed a small but thick sheet of metal over the bolt.

"I'd look away if I was you. Don't want to be down there with useless eyes, do you now?" He advised as he tugged down what appeared to be a welding helmet over his face.

I did as he suggested and looked over my shoulder. I felt the metal of the cuff warm up slightly.

"All done. She's free to join the others." I glanced back to see that the sheet of metal had been welded so the bolt was now impossible to get to. With the cuff secured, my chaperone shoved me in the direction of yet another archway. This place was becoming more and more like a rat maze. We silently descended a smaller flight of steps and came to another gigantic set of doors. These ones were so huge they scraped the ceiling and even had a smaller, regular sized door cut into one of the wooden panels. The wooden panels, themselves were so wide they might have well have been a row of gargantuan redwood trees.

"You know, we don't get many women." Said the guard as we approached. "And the ones that we do don't tend to look like you. I almost pity you."

He nodded to the two guards that stood either side of the door before retrieving a key and opening it. The soldiers guarding the doorway drew their swords and stood in a stance that was ready for attacking, suggesting someone had tried to break free the last time they had opened this door. How bad was it in there that a prisoner was desperate or stupid enough to try such a stunt? My chaperone flicked through his key ring, which was clustered with countless tiny keys, like padlock keys. He soon came across one that had the engraving 178 on its head. He unlocked my handcuffs. "Welcome to hell." Was all he said before shoving me through the doorway and into the unknown.


	13. Chapter XIII

Author's Notes:

Just a little heads up, November looks like it could be a busy month so updates might slow but I'm still typing away whenever I get a spare moment.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XIII: Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt**

I stumbled and hit the ground with a thud, causing my raw knees to tingle with pain. The door slammed shut behind me. I pulled myself up and quickly scanned my new surroundings. Surprisingly, there was plenty of light because of the high ceiling not having a roof. I thought dungeons were supposed to be dark, dingy places where people are chained up to walls and left to rot. I was stood atop yet another flight of wide steps, though these were shorter in their descent. As I hesitantly made my way down them I noticed the most disturbing element about the place was the smell, it was a stomach churning stench of sweat, testosterone, waste and something darker that I couldn't identify.

The other thing that quickly snatched up my attention was the large gladiator's pit that was the huge room's focal point. The ring was sunken into the grown so that everyone would be able to have a good view of the gore if a fight occurred. I briefly wondered if it was still used.

Ignoring the thoughts of prison violence that had crept into my head, I refocused on my surroundings. The walls were similar to all the other rooms I had been led through to get here. All once beautiful yet had been defaced and vandalised by the war. Convicts were free to mill around at their own will and there seemed to be no cells or sleeping arrangements. I moved slowly, with my head down so that my hair obscured most of my face. The last thing I needed was to draw attention to myself. As I paced along, keeping close to the walls, I saw that there were numerous doorways that led from the strange arena to elsewhere. I decided to take my chances with one of them. It led to another, smaller area that again had a skylight in the roof to let in natural light. A large well broke up the sand coated tiles. Water! I hadn't eaten or drunk anything yet today. Maybe my headache was because of dehydration and not trauma. There were other prisoners gathered around it drinking it using their hands or merely bending over and lapping it up. I cupped my hands and dipped them into the scummy water. It was surprisingly cool. Once my hands had gathered enough, I lifted them to my face. The water tasted rank, stale even, but it seemed to do the trick and quench my thirst.

"Hey, you must be new, ain't seen you round here before." Said a man from across the well. I wiped my wet hands on the sides of my dress, suddenly very aware that I was indeed in a dress.

"Y-yeah, I was admitted today." I said, unsure which way this conversation was about to go.

"Whatchya in for?" He moved around so he now stood at my side. He towered over me.

"I killed a man." I answered bluntly. Perhaps it was best I fabricated something far more sinister than delinquency and assisting a theft charges.

"Really? You don't look like the killing type." His tone was brimming with cynicism.

"Well, I am." I said, looking up at him. He had scars crisscrossing his face, they made it difficult to gauge how old his was.

"And this man, what'd he do to get killed?"

"He forced himself on me." I answered, not breaking my sight from his dark, calculating eyes. I hoped in doing this I would convince him.

"Seems like you're a tough'en. But ya see things are different down here. There ain't no rules, life ain't worth a damn so unless you want to kill again you might need some protection."

"And you're going to give me it?" I was now defiantly sure which way this chat was going, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Not without a price." He said, his eyes slowly taking their time to wander up and down my form, just so the message was clear.

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself." I declined in an off-handed tone and turned to walk away.

"See, it doesn't work like that down here." He said grabbing my arm and spinning me around so I was forced to face him once again. "I may not be a dungeon master, but I'm pretty high up the food chain down here, so what I want, I get. Now I tried goin' about this the proper way, seems as you're just a lass, but if you're gonna decline my services you give me no choice."

He used his grip on my arm to pull me closer to him. I didn't look at him I was too busy searching for an escape route. His rough hand stroked the side of my faced that wasn't marred by bruising. His skin felt like cracked, old leather. I flinched and went to shrink back, but it proved impossible due to his iron grip on my arm. If his hold tightened any further I was sure it would break the bone. His callused thumb leisurely dragged across my lips, making my stomach flip and my hands form fists. "Good lass." He praised. In a mingled of anger and fear, a plan stormed through my head. I quickly seized his offending thumb with my teeth and bit down as hard as I could. The taste of blood soon filled my mouth. He yelped and used the hand that was holding my arm to deal a powerful clout. The blow knocked me to the ground. I was dizzy and in pain but I was where I needed to be, I was free from his grip. I pulled myself up and sprinted away from the well.

"Hey! Come back here, wench!" I heard him boom.

I pushed onwards, ignoring his shouting, the sound of his footsteps in pursuit and ducked into one of the many corridors that ran through the dungeon like veins. One of them had to be a route to a decent hiding place. My legs felt like they had battery acid pumping through their muscles. The hot pain was becoming more and more unbearable. I tried to ignore it but it was useless, the distraction of the sting was too much. I faltered and fell. As I scrambled to get up I noticed a hole in the wall. It was small but I was desperate enough to see if I could squeeze through. I dragged myself through on my stomach. Luckily, my judgement had been right. I managed to slip in, although the jagged edges of the hole's mouth scraped my sides raw. The space was small. There was just enough room for me to sit slumped against the bricks. It must have once been some kind of vent as it had a perfect square structure and its tunnel led somewhere, though I was too exhausted to bother investigating. I merely sat there in the dark, willing my breathing to calm down. I was so tired. The lull of the dark proved too strong and I despite the danger of falling sleeping while some prisoner was baying for my blood, I allowed to let my heavy eyelids to close.

* * *

I woke slowly, my head attempting to shake off the groggy grip of slumber. I hadn't been discovered yet which probably meant that the inmate had grown bored of searching for me. I pulled my knees up and rested my chin upon them. The darkness was comforting, it shrouded my surroundings allowing me to concentrate on other things rather than the dungeon.

I sat there for hours as thoughts of back home coursed through my mind. Mum, Dad, Joel, Jorge, Kaiser I missed them so much. I had been deliberately pushing memories and thoughts of them to the back of my mind these last couple of days just so I could deal with all the chaos that was occurring. Now, stuck in a vent in the middle of a dungeon I could think of nothing else.

"_Why do _I_ have to walk? It's only down the hill." Whined Joel, as we came out of the pizzeria. The night air was warm and carried scents of the jasmine and mimosa which grew from many of the little white houses' windowsills. We stopped beside a big, red cross-country motorbike._

"_Because it's only just down the hill." I retorted, steadying myself by holding onto the bike's handlebar. I hadn't been keeping count how many drinks I had been knocking back to try and keep up with the two boys. _

"_Que pasa? (What's up?)" __Jorge asked in Spanish, unsure what my brother was pestering me about._

"_El quiere sube el moto__. (He wants to ride the motorbike)" I explained._

"_I bet we could fit all three of us on." Joel said. "Jorge, nos vamos nos tres en el moto. (Jorge, lets go the three of us on the motorbike)" He gestured to the bike and then the three of us to be sure his Spanish friend had understood what he was suggesting._

"_Okay!" Jorge grinned._

"_What? No! There's no way all three of us are gonna fit on there." I protested while Jorge and Joel climbed on the bike._

"_Walk then. It's only down the hill."_

"_Bugger off!" I swung my leg over the bike, which was quite a challenge due to Joel sat in the way. I was perched on the very end of the motorbike's seat, just before the flimsy plastic tail that acted as a mudguard. _

"_Vamos baby!" Joel boomed, his voice echoed down the silent street. He always had such a big mouth. I poked him in the ribs and hiss,_

"_Shhhh!"_

_Jorge pushed the bike forward towards the steep hill. I knew he wouldn't actually start the bike up because of the deafening roar it made and the fact that it was the small hours of the morning. _

"_Joder, vosotros pesas mucho__! (Fuck, you guys are heavy!)" He said._

"_Don't blame me. I wasn't the one that ate two full pizzas!" I laughed. _

"_I was hungry!" Joel justified._

"_Gordo. (Fatty)" _

_The bike began to pick up momentum as we neared the lip of the hill and Jorge replaced his feet back onto the bike's pedals. We rocketed down past the little sugar lump houses the only sound was the whirl of the bikes wheels and the wind as it sped past us, racking at our hair and clothes. Towards the end of the hill was a sharp corner. Jorge tightened his grip on the brakes and attempted to steer it. It would have worked if it hadn't had been weighed down with three people. The bike instead merely rolled to a stop and tipped over. Despite being tipsy we all managed to react fast enough and managed to stop the bike falling on the floor completely. We stood there, the bike in between our open legs. It leant heavily against our right legs but because there were three of us we could support its weight. We burst out in fits of drunken laughter._

"_Nice driving, Rossi!" Joel snorted in between fits of drunken giggles._

_We all dismounted and walked the rest of the way to my house. Joel pushed the bike. _

A sound yanked me away from my thoughts and back into the dim of the vent. I jerked my head up and looked towards the opening that I had crawled through. There was someone there! A red skinned Bangaa had ducked his head in.

"S-stay away from me!" I shrieked. I clumsily shuffled further down the vent away from him.

"I mean you no harm, girl." He said softly, backing up a bit.

"Then leave me alone."

"You're from Rabanastre are you not? You were the girl behind me in the line this morning."

I squinted trying to get a better look at him. My eyes still needed to adjust to the darkness. It was true, it was the Bangaa from earlier, but that didn't make me any less apprehensive about his motives for getting to know me.

"So?" I shrugged.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright, that Hume roughed you up pretty well earlier."

"I'm fine. Leave me alone." I said flatly, before moving to turn away from him.

"Wasn't right what he tried to do. I made sure he realised that." He said, ignoring my request and moving to sit down outside the vent. "He won't be bothering you anymore."

"So what, you're my new muscle or something?" I snorted in disbelief.

"No, although you could probably use some."

I looked at him once again. He was huge, built as if he was made of nothing more but muscle. The strange long hanging ears that his kind had was heavily decorated in earrings of all materials, there was even some fashioned from bone. A scar ran from along his lip up his snout. If we had crossed paths in another place, say in the Muthru Bazaar, I would have happily stayed out of his way.

"And you're just going to protect me out of sheer generosity, no payments or favours?"

"I'm not a Hume lover if that's what you're getting at. I'd rather take a run at a Seeq before I touch you." He laughed, it sounded like a raspy hiss.

"Then why?" I heard him sigh.

"I have a brother. He's a decade younger than me. He's a priest, a Kilita. I helped him become what he is by protecting him though out his pilgrimage, seems as he wasn't much of a fighter. Thing is after you've lived most your life using violence to protect another it's kinda hard to break out of that rut. He told me that the Light would excuse all my wrongdoings if I used my skills for good."

"So you just want to do good?"

"I guess. Ironically, by doing good I got thrown in here." He rattled off another hiss of laughter.

I said nothing. I merely hugged my knees to my chest again and studied him further. After a while, he sighed and rose. Without saying a word, he left.

I mulled over this new prospect. Having a Bangaa as a bodyguard was a tempting perk. I could finally move about the dungeons without fear. I could try and find Vaan.

"Here." A bundle of clothes were thrown into the vent. "Best you change. That dress makes you look like a girl and there aren't many girls around here and whatever is in short supply in a dungeon is usually in popular demand."

I shuffled forward and grabbed the clothes. There was a pair of brown trousers that were cropped so they would stop at the calf and a large peasant shirt.

"Where did you get these?"

"From a man who no longer is in need of them, now hurry and change." I heard his footsteps as he moved away from the vent. Their sound didn't vanish completely, telling me he was nearby. I scrambled about to change. Once I had my new outfit on I glanced at my dress that was now discarded on the vent floor. It was riddled with rips and encrusted with dirt. I turned towards the opening and crawled out.

"Not bad. Here, you're hair is too long for you to be a man and since you let it become that long I'm betting you won't to cut it." He handed me a long length of material that was a burgundy colour. I gathered the length of my hair and held it close to the back of my head before wrapping the material around and around my head so that it made a turban. I struggled securing the stray end of the material into one of the folds. It was hard to do without a mirror. The Bangaa soon grew bored of watching me struggle. He swatted my hand aside and fixed it in place. "There, you are now a man... sort of."

"What's your name?" I asked looking up at him.

"Hynal. Yours?"

"Edie."

"You Humes have such strange names." He sighed, shaking his head before walking off. I spurted after him.

"Do you think there's a way out of here?"

"I know there's a way outta here, just haven't found it yet." He remarked.

* * *

We wondered around the bowels of the fortress trying to find anything that may lead us to a way out. I kept my eye open for Vaan. He had to be down here somewhere. The tunnel we had been walking down opened up into a balcony. The balcony over looked a very familiar scenery.

"This is the entrance. We came in through this way." I said looking down at the gladiator pit. Hynal mutter something in his native tongue, from the way it spewed from his lips I was guessing it was a curse.

"Sit. We rest." He said, leaning against the balcony's railings. He handed me a leather flask of water. I sat on the dusty, stone floor and gulped down as much water as I could in one breath. "Hey, don't drink all of it."

I fastened the flask's metal cap and returned it to him with an apologetic look.

"What'd you do?"

"Huh?"

"To get thrown in here, what did you do?" I asked leaning my head back against the railings so I could look up at him.

"I was a part of the Resistance. I was drafted later than most, though. I had just wanted to be there when the attack went down."

"The Resistance?" I gasped.

"Say it a bit louder I don't think the rest of the inmates heard you." He grinned, showing the small, sharp teeth that lined his mouth. "What 'bout you?"

"I helped a theft rob a room full of guards."

"So you didn't kill a man then?" I shook my head. "Didn't think so."

I was going to question him just how he knew I didn't indeed take another's life when the sound of heavy footsteps interrupted me. Three large Seeq barged through the archway. All of them had crudely made clubs clutched in their stubby hands. The biggest of them all growled something in a language that I couldn't understand. I quickly pulled myself up.

"Get behind me, Edie." Hynal instructed, moving away from the railings.

"Why?" I whispered, complying nonetheless.

"Because it seems your disguise wasn't good enough. They know you're a lass." The leader snarled something else, this time it was defiantly directed at Hynal. "It also seems they weren't please with me roughing up one of their lackeys."

He turned his attention back to the threat and growled something back in the same tongue. This enraged the already hot-headed Seeq and he lunged at the Bangaa, swinging his club as he went. Hynal ducked and swerved out of the way. I stood with my back pinned against the railings, too terrified to move. Hynal was a fairly skilled fighter, he managed to get a few swift punches in here and there, but the Seeq were too strong and their numbers worked in their favour. One of the subordinate Seeq managed to catch his arm with the club. I heard the bone break in a stomach turning crunch. Hynal cried out in pain and put some distance between him and his revivals. He was once again stood next to me his back against the railings, his injured arm hanging uselessly.

"I'll... try... and give them... the slip." He panted.

He then jumped over the railings to the lower ground. Two of the Seeq were already on his tail. I was left with the smaller one of the trio. He slowly paced up towards me, his crooked mouth curling up in a sinister smile.

"No, don't!" I heard a voice shout from below.

Its sound ripped through my ears and made my eyes widen in disbelief. It couldn't be! I whirled around and leaned over the railings so I could see, forgetting all about the Seeq. There slap bang in the middle of the chaos stood Vaan. My eyes flitted from him to Hynal. He was lying on the ground not moving. The two Seeq's attention now had moved to their next victim.

"Vaan! Run!" I shouted.

His head snapped up at the sound of my voice. The Seeq that was up on the balcony with me saw this as the opportune moment to pounce. He jumped down from the balcony swinging his club as he plummeted. He dealt Vaan a heavy blow, knocking the boy off his feet. He lay sprawled on the floor unconscious. "Vaan!" I spun round and sprinted down the long corridor and down a flight of crumbling steps. I had to stop them. they were going to kill him. He couldn't die. Penelo's words from the other night flooded my mind, _'I lied...I really wouldn't know what I'd do without him'_.

My sandals slapped loudly against the tiles as I raced through to the arena. I pushed past the gathering crowd that had come to watch the massacre. Why was nobody trying to break this up? By the time I reached the pit I saw that they had dragged Vaan in. He soon came round and moved towards one of the four exits. The gates quickly slammed down, blocking his escape. Now I realised why it was built into the ground, so there was no escape.

"Vaan!" I clambered over the railings and jumped down. I landed awkwardly and fell back on my butt. Some cavalry I was. I hastily got up and moved to his side. "You okay?" I asked.

He had a cut on his cheek that was framed by a rapidly forming bruise.

"What are you doing here?" He said blinking in disbelief.

I wanted to give him some smart-ass remark like something along the lines of 'saving your ass' or something that all those feisty heroines use in action films. However, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be of much help if we were going to have to brawl with the three dungeon masters. I settled with,

"Your harebrained plan got me thrown in here."

I offered him my hand. He grasped it and I helped him to his feet. The three Seeq closed in on us. Now that I was closer to them I could see how cobwebs of drool dangled from their tusks and how their small eyes glinted with anticipation.

"Something stinks in here all right. I've changed my mind. This is no dungeon, it's a sty." Said a smooth voice. I looked over my shoulder up at the railings above. A man stood looking down at the three Seeq. He seemed vaguely familiar though my memory failed to place him any where I remembered. The larger Seeq growled something back. Still clearly disguised by the three creatures, he turned his head to the side and spat, as if merely speaking to the creatures was leaving a bitter taste on his tounge. "I said you're the one who stinks hamshanks, hear me now?" He question cracking his knuckles. I noticed the fingers of his left hand were adorned with brightly coloured rings. He gracefully jumped over the railings and landed on the fine sand that made up the pit's floor. "You alright, Vaan?"

Vaan nodded. "Why must you make new friends? They only seem to cause us all the more bother."

"She's kinda more of a friend of a friend." He shrugged. I fired him a dirty look.

"Very well. At least our numbers are a match with theirs, should be a fair fight."

"F-fight?" I stammered.

"You have quite the way with words, don't you?" He smirked and turned his attention back to the three overgrown swine.

He lifted his hand and motioned for the Seeq to make the first move. He seemed totally unfazed by the fact he was indeed going to engage in combat against three creatures that were twice his size. My mind surged and suddenly managed to place him. Mr Arrogant, the man who had been arrested with Vaan in the Low Town.

The Seeq charged, clubs held high. Vaan and Mr Arrogant fearlessly met them head on. They were both quick and managed to dodge the clubs. Mr Arrogant even managed to rob the smaller Seeq of his weapon.

"Here, catch!"

He tossed the club at me. I caught it and clutched in tightly, ignoring how my knuckles felt like they were going to snap. The Seeq turned and saw that I now had his weapon. He stomped over to me. I panicked and swung the club. I missed. I swung again. I wasn't bothered if I hit him or not, I just wanted to keep him a safe distance away from me. Vaan threw something at his head. It was a rock. He spun round, snarling in annoyance.

"Edie, hit him now!" Vaan shouted.

I did as he said and swung the club at the Seeq's turned back. Another irritated roar emitted from his mouth as he whirled round. I swung and hit him again, this time right in the face. The noise of bone crunching under the force of the club greeted my ears. The Seeq tumbled to the sand. Vaan turned away and focused his attention to the two remaining opponents. I daren't move from my current position, in front of the now unmoving Seeq with the club held high, ready to smite him again if he so much as twitched.

"Behind you!" Shouted Mr Arrogant.

I turned to see the ringleader wasn't pleased I had clubbed his companion to death. A yelp of fear burst from my lips and my reflexes kicked in, causing me to swing once again. I missed. He batted the club aside. I jumped a few paces back. I fell. He held his make-shift weapon high, ready to bring it down on my head. In my panic stricken state I did the only thing I could think of, I thought of the blizzard spell's words. They flashed through my mind like a thunderstorm. I knew it was useless but it was all I had left. I heard Vaan shout my name. He sounded scared. Abruptly, sharp shards of thick ice attacked the Seeq, piercing his thick hide. By the time the spell had been completed he looked more like a porcupine than a pig. He fell to the sand, club still gripped in his hand. I shuffled backwards in shock. What had just happened? I blinked hard.

"Interesting." Mused Mr Arrogant. He extended his hand to me. I grasped it and he helped me up but he didn't realise his grip on me when I was back on my feet again. His brown eyes studied my wrist where my prisoner cuff was clasped. "Very Interesting." He dropped my hand.

The crowd that had been watching came forward. They had obviously enjoyed our performance. I felt anger flare up within me. Why hadn't they done anything to break up the fight? The sound of the dungeons doors being opened caused heads to whip round. A seemingly never-ending line of soldiers marched in, causing the lingering spectators to move on. Mr Arrogant moved towards the pit's high walls so that he would be out of view, Vaan and I copied his actions. A soldier of a higher rank to the rest walked down the flight of steps and stopped at the small bay where the stairs branched off at either side. He lifted up the visor of his helmet and surveyed the arena before turning to look behind him. Someone else was making their way down the steps.

"Great. They just don't give up do they?" Mr Arrogant sighed. I leaned forward slightly trying to steal a glimpse to see who 'they' were.

A green Bangaa pushed the soldier aside and snarled in frustration. It probably wasn't just his current demeanour that made my heart stutter in fear. He had piercings all over his ears and even his mouth, which sported some kind of guard, probably to protect his snout when in battle. I also noticed there was a black collar that had spikes protruding from its form wound around his thick neck.

"Now is looking like a good time for us to leave."

As if on cue the soft sound of the nearest gate being lifted caused us to turn our heads. Stood behind it, holding it up ever so slightly was the same Viera from before. We each moved quietly, still keeping to the wall.

"Through the oubliette, there's a way out." She said, her voice was beautifully soft and had the hint of some foreign accent, though I couldn't quite place it. "Only..."

"Only you sense the Mist." He finished for her. He then ducked under the gate to join her. He brushed himself off, ridding his white shirt of any specks of sand. How had he managed to keep it so pristine down here? "Then we'll need weapons." He looked behind him to see Vaan crawling under the gate. I followed.

"We have another among us now?" She questioned the boys. Her eyes never left me and her ears pointed forward, like a deer does when listening for predators. I reassured myself that it was probably something to do with that pissed off Bangaa and not me.

"Wait, what about Hynal?"

"Who?" Asked Vaan.

"The red skinned Bangaa. He was with me when the Seeq attacked us." I explained.

Vaan sighed and slowly shook his head, the look he gave was one doctors gave patient's family members right before they say-

"I'm sorry." He said softly. My eyes fell to the floor.

"What did you call me? Say that again!" Came the soldier's exasperated voice. The three of them turned in the direction from which it came. I couldn't look up from the ground. If I did I probably would have started to sob. He had died protecting me. He was dead because of me.

"What, you couldn't hear?" I heard a raspy voice retort almost sarcastically, it belonged to the Bangaa. "I merely said that the lot of you are incompetent fools! If you've the sky-pirate in your hands, where is he?"

"You'd have done better Ba'Gamnan?" Jeered the soldier "By your own words, it was the Imperial army who caught this sky-pirate of yours. We've done your job for you! We don't require the assistance of filthy head hunters."

This did cause my head to jerk up. Sky-pirates, head hunters, just what had Vaan got himself into this time?

"The Empire will restore order here."

"Eh? What's that you say now? Maybe I'll wet my blade on you before I kill Balthier!" Hissed Ba'Gamnan.

"That's enough, Ba'Gamnan!" Came a new voice.

"A Judge." Said the Viera. I moved forward, towards the gate to get a better look. A soldier in elegant black armour descended the flight of steps.

"Judge?" Questioned Vaan. It was nice to know I wasn't the only clueless one present.

"Hmph! The self-proclaimed guardians of law and order in Archadia. They're the elite guard of House Solidor, which effectively makes them commanders of the Imperial army." Enlightened Mr. Arrogant. "If you ask me, they're more executioners than judges. Not a friendly lot at any rate, what are they doing here?" He fell silent and we continued to spy from the shadows.

"The Emperor is willing to overlook race for his more talented servants. However, those who do not show respect will receive none in kind." He said to the Bangaa.

"Your Honour-"

"You travel freely through our lands because the Emperor wills it. Am I correct?"

The Bangaa hesitated before finally backing down will an irritated, "Bah!"

With that matter solved, the Judge turned to the soldier who had been bickering with bounty hunter earlier. The lower ranking officer swiftly bowed. They began to descend the right-hand flight of stairs.

"Where is the captain?"

"We have him solitary, your Honour. We're ready to begin our interrogation." The soldier informed.

"Huh?" Said Ba'Gamnan, his interest roused.

"This does not concern you, bounty hunter." The Judge said dismissively, this only caused the Bangaa to make more feral noises in annoyance before he growled to his companions,

"He's in here somewhere! Find him!"

We ducked back away from the gate so that we weren't seen. Getting caught by either the Judge or the bounty hunter wasn't going to end well. I had the suspicion it was Mr Arrogant the head hunters were scouring the dungeons for.

"Time for the hare to follow the fox." He pondered allowed.

"Huh?" Vaan really wasn't the one for riddles.

"The magicks binding the door to the oubliette are quite strong. Too strong even for my talents." The Viera informed him.

"That's why we'll get them to open it for us." The sky-pirate said, turning away from the gates and beginning to walk off. Vaan was quick on his heels.

"How is going deeper into this place-"

"What's wrong?" He said turning round to face the young boy. "You don't trust her?" Vaan in turn looked over at the Viera. I did too, at least now I could gawp at her without seeming rude. "Viera's noses are sharp. If she says there's a way out there's a way out."

This seemed to convince him. I wasn't sure how he had become so trusting of these two. They moved onwards, I followed.


	14. Chapter XIV

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your reviews make me smile and want to write more :)

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XIV: The Great Escape**

Once we were back in the maze of corridors we picked up pace. As we dashed down the darkened tunnels that made this place seem more like a rabbit's warren than a dungeon we passed an archway to a room. Vaan skidded to a halt behind the Viera which caused me bump into him.

"Look." She said gesturing to the room with a flick of her hand. I noticed how her long, elegant fingers were tipped with lengthy nails.

"Ah! The prison repository of wrested relicts and armaments."

"So our stuff in here?" Clarified Vaan seems as Mr Arrogant's pompous speech was a tad too much for his ears.

"That's what I said."

The room was like all the others down here, grimy and crumbling however within its confines we crates and boxes all over flowing with all kinds of bounty.

"First things first, we rid ourselves of these meddlesome cuffs. You there..." He turned to me, it was then he realised we hadn't been introduced or even exchanged names yet.

"Edie." I offered.

"Edie, let's see if you can perform the same trick twice and cast your blizzard spell on this here cuff."

I hesitated. I hadn't really had much practice to start casting magicks on certain targeted areas on people. "Come along, we don't have much time."

I sighed and did as he asked, conjuring the spell in my mind. Shockingly, it worked. The cuff was soon covered in a thin layer of frost. The Viera handed Mr Arrogant a war hammer she had found whilst rummaging through the collective inventory of all the prisoners' belongings. He nimbly undid the button on his shirt cuff and rolled the sleeve up so that it wouldn't get in the way of what he was going to do. He took hold of the hammer in his other hand and brought it down. The metal on metal contact created a dull but audible 'clink'. A crack appeared on the cuff's surface right near the engraved prisoner number. He brought the hammer down again and the cuff shattered and broke off. We repeated the procedure with Vaan and the Viera. "Well seems as it doesn't affect your magick conjuring I say we leave yours until we are free of this place." He said throwing the hammer aside, which caused a deafening clatter. He then went about searching through the mountain of loot. I joined him and soon found my bag. I tied the two broken ends of its strap into a secure knot before slinging it over my shoulder. I then notice something glint amongst the stash, it was my hairpin. I placed it in my bag seems as I still had the length of material woven around my head. The others all seemed to have found their belongings. Vaan had his sword, the Viera had a quiver of arrows and a larger than average bow and Mr Arrogant had a big, long barrelled pistol.

"Don't tell me you're unarmed." He sighed when he saw the only thing I had on me was my bag. I'm sure I could swing the damn thing hard enough to give him a good enough clout. "Best we get you something. I'm not warding off fiends for the two of us." He went and began scanning the stock. There was plenty to choose from.

"Just get her something easy to use, like a pistol." Vaan shrugged, probably unaware he'd just insulted the two of us.

"I assure you firearms aren't without their vices. Besides, did you see this one fight earlier? Pistols and panicky hands aren't a good match." He said over his shoulder. "Here, this will have to do."

He handed me a spear. It was made from thick bamboo and had a simple but incredibly sharp looking spearhead. It was surprisingly light. There was a harness for it so I could strap it to my back rather than carry it around in my hands all the time.

"Thanks..." I deliberately paused so he would have to say his name.

"Balthier and this is Fran." He gestured to the Viera who in turn said nothing. So it was him the bounty hunters were after. No surprise there.

In the hazy light of the storage room with all of us stood stock still, I finally managed to get a good look at the two of them. The first my eyes scanned was Fran. She was so striking I had been trying to stop them noticeably surveying her form since she had made her appearance. She was tall, slim and enough muscle definition to make any gym bunny jealous but that didn't mean she didn't have curves. She was very buxom, which she showed off due to wearing her form fitting attire. Her ears had black tips and would twitch and move at any seemingly unheard noise. Her hair was a beautiful, brilliant white, accentuating the tanned colour of her skin. It tumbled down until her lower waist in a high ponytail. Over it she wore a black helmet that's design was captivatingly intricate, it framed her fine-looking face perfectly. Her eyes were a deep crimson, her cheekbones sharp, if she had been a human, I would have pegged her as a model, not a pirate.

"What is it with you Dalmascans? Is staring a part of your social etiquette?" Her partner questioned, placing his hands on his hips.

My attention flickered from her to him. He was handsome. Perhaps if he wasn't so incredibly overconfident I would have warmed to him. He had brown hair that was slicked back from his face. He was well groomed, even his sideburns were trimmed. His face suggested he was from aristocratic background as he had a sharp nose and high cheekbones. His eyes were brown and his lips were almost always turned up at one corner in that self-satisfied smile that he favoured. He dressed well in a simple but stylish attire of black trousers and a white shirt that had a wonderfully crafted leather jerkin strapped over it.

"It's not her fault. Edie kinda lost her memory. She couldn't remember anything about Ivalice. She still doesn't really know who she was or where she was going." Vaan explained to them.

"Still, I'm sure she can remember it's rude to stare."

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"Apology accepted. Now let's be off. We need not linger here any longer."

We took off again, running down the corridors. As we swerved around a corner two hefty doors were slowly closing.

"Make haste!" Said Fran.

We bolted through them just before they closed. Still keeping his pace, Balthier dashed forward only to skid to an abrupt halt and hastily back up so he was once again hidden by the wall that blocked our view of the threat he had just spotted. Vaan tried the doors but they were locked tight.

"There are more turnkeys than cutpurses down here. I've had my fill of chains. Let's tread lightly, shall we?" He said. His back pinned to the wall.

He had been right the small area was littered with guards. Fighting them all would be suicidal. Fran moved and took position at the head of the party line.

"When I speak so, move." She said quietly. She reached behind her back and plucked an arrow from her bountiful quiver and drew it tight against the bow's powerful cord. The strain of the pull caused her arms to naturally flex. I could have watched her do this seemingly simple manoeuvre countess times without tiring. She was so graceful. She stepped out and fired the arrow. It hit its target and the soldier slumped to the grown. "Now!" She hissed. We dashed forward until the next wall, which obscured us from the reminder of the guards. She did this two more times, every time hitting her target, every time silent. We made it through to the corridor without being caught.

We had once again caught up with the Judge and his entourage. Hiding around the corner, I heard a male's voice chant something in an archaic tongue. It sounded similar to the tongue I had used when singing the Dalmascan folk songs. I wondered if it was the same language. I crept forward and peered past the pillar that was obscuring me to see the door that had been sealed shut slowly came to life, as if it were indeed a living, breathing entity. Its metal, spiral design unravelled slowly, like vines of ivy dying. They shrunk back into the door's thick framework. The door then slowly opened as if being sealed for an eternity. The guard that had uttered 'open sesame' stood aside and bowed. The Judge walked passed him not saying a word, his black cape, with a red design of the Empire's emblem decorating its form fluttered as he walked.

After the guards had filed in after him we moved, jogging at a steady pace. I found it hard to run with a spear attached to my back.

The door led to yet another corridor that in turn led to a vast room that had many cages hanging from its ceiling, like bird cages. We hid once more, perched on a small balcony that allowed us to look down and see the reason as to why the Judge had travelled here.

In one of the cages was a man shackled at his hands and feet. The Judge approached him. There was a small gap in between the floor and the deep chasm that the cage dangled over. I watched, enthralled as he removed his well-crafted helmet. He was blonde, just like his prisoner. As I was crouched there, a strange, cool sensation crept over me. I had felt it before, in the alley in Rabanastre. I turned my head and look to see the strange haze was flowing down the stairs and snaked its way the scene below before flowing over the edge of the floor and into the unknown depths.

"See something of interest?" Whispered Fran, her crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"N-no." I lied and once more refaced my attention back to the Judge.

"You have grown very thin, Basch. Less than a shadow, less than a man." I noticed Vaan gasped a little too loudly at the mentioning of the prisoner's name. It seems I wasn't the only one who had snapped my head round to give him death stares. Returning my attention back their exchange, I heard the Judge continue. "Sentenced to death yet you live, why?"

"To silence Ondore. How many times must I say it?" The prisoner replied in a raw, rough voice. His tone's annoyed edge suggested he had been asked such a question many times, if not by the Judge, then by one of his subordinates. It was probably how he obtained the scar on his brow, a momentum of the whole horrible experience. "Why not ask Vayne himself? Is he not one of your masters?"

If the Judge was riled by his venomous question, he didn't show it suggesting he was good at guarding his emotions as well as guarding the Empire's family.

"We've caught a leader of the Insurgence. She is being brought from Rabanastre, the woman, Amalia." The prisoner's head jerked up at the mentioning of the name. "Who could that be?" His interrogator questioned, though I'm sure he knew full well who she was. The hint of smugness in his voice was a giveaway. I remained clueless to who she was. The captive sighed heavily before allowing his head to droop once more in defeat. "Such a faithful hound to cling so to a fallen kingdom."

"Better than throwing it away." Growled the prisoner. The Judge moved to replace his helmet on his head before replying.

"Throwing it away?" He questioned, his voice once again muffled by his helmet. "As you threw away our homeland?" He didn't even bother to wait for the other man's reply before marching off, his entourage following him like shadows.

With the interrogation taking a brief intermission, now was our opportune moment to move out from the woodwork. I followed the two sky-pirates down the stairs that led to where the Judge had been standing.

"How the hell did you get mixed up with them two?" I whispered to Vaan, unsure if the Viera's keen ears would hear my words despite my efforts of being discreet.

"In the palace treasury, there was this stone, see?" He pulled an amber hued jewel from his trouser pocket. It gleamed wonderfully despite the lack of light down here. "Anyway, they showed up saying they had come for the stone as well. Then the Resistance attacked and we all fell into the waterways and had to work together to fight our way back to the surface."

I merely sighed heavily in response. Our footsteps echoed audibly as we walked on the flagstone floor. Balthier sauntered ahead. He passed the cage without a glance and approached the lip of floor. His attention was solely on his escape route.

"Who's there?" Muttered the prisoner, too weary to lift his head. He probably thought we were the Judge's henchmen, come to finish the interrogation.

"Is this the place?" The sky pirate asked his partner, still not bothering to acknowledge the man in the cage.

Vaan and I stopped in front of the cage. I noticed how he was suddenly so ridged and tense. I had seen that look in his eyes before, it was the same look he had had when we were on the Royale boulevard, listening to the Consul's speech. I followed his stare to see that his unblinking gaze of loathing was placed on the prisoner. Was this really the disloyal demon who had caused so much discrepancy and despair? I had thought he'd be more intimidating.

He was a man in his mid thirties, although he appeared much older due to his current appearance. His skin clung to the jaunt of his ribs and hipbones. His face was also gaunt making the dark crescents under his eyes more prominent. He had suffered some muscle wastage due to being bound and unable to move for so long. As my eyes wandered over his battered form I saw that there were clouds of bruising decorating his skin, some were deep purple, others had turned a sickly brownish hue with age. Their bloom was broken by the pallid thin and thick slits of old scars.

"The Mist is flowing through this room, it must be going somewhere." Fran's voice disrupted my studying.

"You! You're no Imperials. Please, you must get me out-" The prisoner said.

"It's against my policy to speak with the dead. Especially when they happen to be kingslayers." Balthier said, although he still didn't bother to look at him.

"I did not kill him!" Demanded the man.

"Is that so? Glad to hear it." Was all he offered before once again returning his full concentration back to the abyss below. The prisoner sensed that his fellow felon was too interested in his own escape to help another and so turned his head in our direction.

"Please, get me out. For the sake of Dalmasca." He pleaded to us.

I notice Vaan begin to tremble with rage. Before I could even move to calm him, he sprinted forward and leaped on to the cage, so he was face to face with his brother's murder.

"Dalmasca! What do you care about Dalmasca!" He roared, rattling the cage's bars which in turn caused the cage to sway. I gasped and dashed towards him. I had never seen his so infuriated. I thought I could piss him off pretty bad, but this anger was something else altogether. "Everything that's happened is because of you! Everyone that's died, every single one! Even my brother." His voice wavered slightly. I leaned over the small gap between the floor and the cage and seized his trouser leg.

"Vaan, get down!" I said tugging at him in hope he'd pay attention for once. The last thing I needed right now was for him to slip and fall.

"You killed my brother!" He shouted.

"Quiet! The guards will hear." Balthier hissed.

It seemed it was too late, I saw Fran's ear prick at a distant sound out of the corner of my eye. It was the sound of heavy armour in swift movement. We were done for if they caught the four of us here! She coolly paced over to the wooden wheel that controlled the cage's pulley.

"I'm dropping it!"

"Edie, climb on!" Vaan said. It seemed the only thing that managed to snap him from his fury was the risk of getting caught by the Judge.

I hopped over the gap and clung on tightly to the rusting iron bars. The cage juddered as the mechanisms holding it in its current place unhinged and allowed the thick chain to run freely. We plummeted down the shaft, the air resistance was so forceful it robbed the breath from my mouth. It whipped at my face and even managed to unravel my turban. I could feel the force of gravity playing havoc with me stomach, sending it rocketing up my throat. I tightened my grip on the bars and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact of the cage finally hitting the ground. Would it ever come? This fall was never-ending and I was pretty sure the dungeons didn't own a bottomless pit.

* * *

I came to. The first conscious thought that ran through my mind was that I had survived. I was alive! I assumed the cage had something to do with that, it must have absorbed most of the impact. I crawled out from the rubble that had covered me. I winced. I may have been alive but I was also injured. My arm stung. I couldn't really see the extent of my newly acquired wound due to the air being thick with dust. I coughed and spluttered as my lungs attempted to sift through the dirty air in search of oxygen.

"You are wounded?" said a voice in the dim. It was Fran. She crouched down and ran a hand over my injured arm. I hissed in pain and jerked it away from her. "A bad sprain, nothing more." She held out her hand again and seemed to concentrate. Suddenly a soft green glow engulfed me. It seeped into my skin and I could suddenly feel it working to relieve my injury, soothing the swelling and repairing the damaged muscle and tissue. It felt euphoric, I almost sighed in relief. When the spell had been completed I looked at her with widened eyes. "Curative magicks are most useful, can you conjure any?"

"No." I said.

"Then I will entrust you with these." She handed me a leather bag. I had noticed she had been wearing it when we had been running down all those corridors. I slung it over my shoulder so it rested against my own bag. I undid the satchel's large fastening and peered inside to see there were lots of little glass bottles that were filled with a deep emerald hued substance. I knew what they were, I had seen them before. They were simply called 'potions' and they could cure all manner of aliments from fatigue to a common cold. Their healing properties were why they were so expensive. We sold them in the shop at 50 Gil a bottle. "Hume bones are fragile and you don't seem strong enough to battle well so a medic you will become."

"Use them sparingly." Said Balthier. I looked up to see he was stood not far off, cleansing his shirt of dirt once more. "They're not cheap and our supply isn't bountiful."

I nodded. It was then I noticed Vaan at his feet. He was sprawled out on the floor not moving. I quickly got up and went to him.

"Vaan!" I gentle shook his shoulder in hope to wake him up.

"Leave him be. He'll wake in due time." Said the sky-pirate as he moved from where he stood to approach the mound of rumble where the cage was. "Hmm, wonder if the captain survived the fall." He mused aloud. As if prompted, there was a scratching noise and some of the rubble was upturned. Dragging himself from the rocks was the prisoner. He crawled forward yet one of his hands was still shackled with chains. "Better free him." Balthier went up to him and inspected the chain. He cast a blizzard spell on his shackles and used a nearby rock to shatter the frozen metal.

I watched as the man sat back on his haunches and rubbed some relief into his raw wrists. I wondered how long he had had those chains on. Vaan woke up with a groan. He rubbed his head and sat up. When he had fully recovered, it was then he noticed just who was sat not but a few paces away. He growled and flew at the older man, knocking him to the ground.

"Vaan!" I shouted, once again taken back by his rage. He now had the prisoner pinned on the ground and drew a clenched fist back, ready to strike. Before I could moved to stop him, Balthier seized the boy by his extended forearm and hauled him backwards. Vaan fell back on his butt and let out a feral noise in annoyance that his actions had been cut short.

"Spare us your quiddities." Balthier said, not taking any notice of the tight stare that Vaan had fixed upon the captain.

"Yeah, but-but he's a-"

"A traitor, I know. Stay here and fight if you want." He then turned to the traitor in question, who was once again pulling himself up from the floor. "If you can walk, let's go."

"You're taking him with us?" Vaan questioned in disbelief. He was quick and up on his feet within a heartbeat.

"We could use another sword arm."

"And you have it." Said the prisoner as he rose to his full height. He was tall, nearly as tall as Fran (well if the length of her ears were included in her height). Vaan let out an irritable huff before storming off. The two sky pirates turned and walked off also, leaving me behind with the prisoner.

* * *

Fran glanced over her shoulder to look at their ever expanding party's newest members. The captain, Basch, he was going to be of use. Sure, he wasn't at his strongest due to being cooped up in a cage for a couple of years but she was sure he would quickly recover his losses. Military men were accustomed to fluctuation in muscle gain and loss. Then there was the girl, Edie. She had lost her turban in the fall, which now allowed a long length of black hair to tumbled down her shoulders. Fran would catch her every now and then looking at something that seemingly wasn't there, well, wasn't there to the likes of Humes, anyway.

"Our company worries me." She said to her partner.

"The captain? Yes, not the best person to be seen with."

"It's not him that I speak of."

"The girl?"

"She is hiding something."

* * *

As we walked on I deliberately dawdled so the man could keep pace with me. He seemed to be struggling to walk, which wasn't surprising seems as he had been bound by chains for such a long time. I glanced up ahead to see Vaan marching onwards upfront. I reached into the bag Fran had given me and plucked out a potion.

"Here, maybe this will help." I said offering it to him. He took it and without querying what it was, uncapped it and drank the small bottle's contents in one gulp.

"Thank you." I gave him a nod and a small smile in response before quickening my pace. However, he was now able to keep up. "How is it that you and your friends came to be in the dungeons?" He asked after a long and somewhat uneasy silence.

"They're not really my friends. Well the boy, Vaan, he is but the other two I've only just met. Their names are Balthier and Fran." I said gesturing to each of them as I spoke their names.

"May I ask yours?"

"Edie."

"Basch." He returned.

"I already know your name." I stated quietly, feeling a little unnerved I was talking to a murder. We continued to walk together though we both remained silent.

Soon the winding corridor came to a room that was dimly lit. We began walking down the stairs when I noticed halfway in their descent they branched off to a platform that rose from the floor below like a pillar. Fran went over to it and flipped a lever that was attached to it. Nothing happened.

"The fuse must not be working." Said Balthier.

"Is it a fuse you're after?" Came a voice from further down the stairs. We continued down them to see a Seeq sat next to a large iron gate. "Got one right here, not in the best of condition but it will give a good enough jolt to open this here gate."

"How much?" Balthier questioned, folding his arms across his chest.

"This bit of junk? No charge. I was going to use it to try and escape but the Barheim passageways are treacherous, teeming with fiends. It's yours if you want it." The Seeq held out his hand, the fuse nestled in his palm.

We returned to the platform and replaced the fuse. This time when the switch was flipped, the room's light became brighter and the gate shuddered open. The corridors leading from the room were all also lit brightly. I liked it seems as this way I could see if anything threatening decided to charge at me. The Seeq's warnings about fiends had put me on edge. We entered a larger, wider tunnel, our footsteps echoed in the vast stretch of space. Suddenly the lights started to dim.

"Hey! Who turned down the lights?" Vaan asked looking around trying to find the problem.

It was in front of us feasting on an electrical cable that crackled with stray sparks of energy due to its cords being shredded by the fiend. It was like a big spider, with six spindly legs and large fangs that were embedded into the cord's frayed ends. "One of those?"

"I've heard of these: Mimicks." Said Balthier. "They disguise themselves as all manner of things, then strike when you're least wary. Some of them have a fondness for energy, I'm told. They gorge themselves on the stuff till there's naught left."

"So... what happens then?"

"Lights out. And it's worse in the dark, much worse. So, let them get too close to one of those conduits and they'll suck it dry. But don't worry. It'll give you the energy back, if you ask it nicely. Sticking it with a sword helps too. Clock's ticking!"

Balthier drew his gun and fired a shot at the Mimick, disturbing it from its feasting. It spun round and began to scuttle towards us, fangs at the ready. The remainder of us drew our weapons.

"Give your spear to the Captain! He'll make better use of it than you will!" Shouted the sky-pirate.

I complied and handed it over to him, I just wanted the horrible, overgrown spider dead before it could get too close to me. Basch wordlessly accepted my weapon and skilfully swung it at the fast approaching fiend. The Mimick quickly dodged the attack. I shuffled backwards wanting to put more distance between it and me. Basch lunged again and this time was swift enough to strike the Mimick. The spearhead pierced through the creature's tough looking shell with little problem. It shrieked in pain but it still tried to attack, its fangs gnawing on the spear's bamboo. With it finally pinned down to one spot, Fran finished it off with one of her arrows. The impact of the arrow hitting its target sounded eerily like a nail being hammered into a coffin.

We continued down the passage only stopping to kill off the pesky Mimicks as we went. There were many corpses of those who had been desperate enough for freedom that they risked their lives travelling down the tunnel. One corpse was a Hume dressed in lightweight armour, a sword still tightly clutched in his hand. Basch stopped and inspected the carcass. He handed me my spear back and then carefully went about taking the armour from the body. He then began to dress himself in it.

"The Mist seethes." Fran said, her eyes fixed on the churning, fast flowing haze that was running down the passage. I could see what she meant. Did that mean I could see the Mist? I thought back to what Penelo had told me about the entity. Humes couldn't see the Mist so why could I? Perhaps it was because I was a human and not a Hume.

"It reeks. Something's close." Balthier commented.

Basch had finally finished putting the last scrap of armour he could salvage from the dead body. He even had a clip to tie back his overgrown crop of hair. He then carefully unpicked the soldier's fingers from the sword. He lifted it and tested its weight by performing a brief series of impressive slashes. It was a remarkable display for someone who could barely walk a couple of hours ago. "Nice moves there Captain."

"You mean 'traitor'." Corrected Vaan, venomously. He still wasn't happy that his brother's murder was within our ranks. I was quite surprised he hadn't tried to beat him up again, mind you with Basch getting stronger with every battle it probably wasn't a good idea.

"So they say. But I didn't see him kill anyone."

"My brother did." This caught the older man's attention. He turned to face the two. Vaan scowled at him, that hatful blaze back in his eyes. I moved to his side just in case he gave into his rage and did anything stupid again.

"Reks. He said he had a brother two years younger. I see he meant you." There was a brief pause. "Your brother. What became-"

"He's dead."

"I'm sorry."

I was a little confused as to how a murder had forgotten he had killed another. Basch seemed clueless to the fact that it was he who had murdered Reks. Even his apology was so strongly sincere, like when you tell another that you're sorry for their loss. It was clear the apology wasn't for his actions that took Rek's life.

"It was you who killed him!"

"I give you my word: that was not the way of it." He said in a sombre voice.

"Then how? How did he die?" I spoke up, knowing that my butting in would prevent Vaan from charging at the man in front of us.

"The eve of the treaty signing, the Order knew King Raminas' life was in peril. We went to his aid. Reks was within our platoon, he had fought well against the Imperial footmen. My men and I went on ahead of him, at his request to where his Highness was being held... We were ambushed by a Judge and his henchmen. My men were slain before my very eyes and I was beaten and held in the shadows. The Judge, it was he who attacked your brother. Judge Gabranath, the officer who you saw before. The house of Solidor's guard and a sibling of mine... My twin."

There was a long pause as Basch moved to sit down, leaning his back against the wall. Perhaps I had been wrong to think he was slowly regaining his strength as he suddenly seemed so drained, although maybe it was because he was reliving the moments that cost him everything in his mind.

"He has changed so since I saw him last. When he had attended the signing he had let his hair grow, he had worn an immaculate replica of my armour, he even imitated my voice. You're brother was fooled by the likes of him and the Empire."

"A twin brother? Fancy that. But still the pieces fit. I'll give you that much. And he did look like you." Said Balthier. It was true now that I thought about it the Judge had looked a lot like a healthier version of the man before us all. I looked over at Vaan, who had moved away and turned his back to us. His shoulders were still tensed.

"I don't believe you." He said.

"Of course not. It was my fault that Reks was there. I am sorry." Vaan's metal gloved hands clenched tightly into fists.

"My brother, he trusted you. He trusted you and he lost everything. How can I believe you?" Basch rose from the ground.

"Not me then. Believe in your brother. He was a fine soldier. He fought to the last to protect his homeland. No, surely he fought to protect his brother."

"You don't know anything!" Vaan shouted, whipping around to finally face the older man. Balthier stepped in front of his path and coolly said,

"Believe what you want to. Whatever it takes to make you happy." He turned and started to walk, as he passed the captain I heard him utter, "What's done is done."

That was the last of the discussion. We moved onwards along the passage, still searching for a way out. When the long tunnel opened into a large chamber it didn't look any more promising. In the midst of the chamber was a gigantic alien like creature. It squatted and laid another egg in centre of an already copious cluster. The goo coated egg promptly hatched, revealing yet another Mimick. It scuttled along to the nearest energy conduct and began feeding from it.

"I grow tired of these pests!" mumbled Balthier, drawing his pistol.

"Did you honestly think it be that easy to escape?" Fran jibed.

"What can I say? I'm forever the optimist." He sighed before taking aim and firing a shot at the great beast.

I quickly grabbed my spear and drew it from its harness. I tried to concentrate on the already more known Mimick monsters rather than their Queen as I was already trembling and an upward glance would only make me want to run back the way I came.

"Edie! Use the medic's kit! When one of us is injured it's your task to see that we are mended again!" Shouted Balthier. Suddenly I wasn't so keen on my battle position. Mimicks were scattered around everywhere and would attack at any given notice. I was constantly moving and batting them away with my spear, a frightened yelp my war cry.

"She is weak to ice magicks! Bring her down!" Fran shouted, firing yet another arrow from her bow.

She was exactly the opposite of me in battle. She strode around with confidence, searching for an opening which she could fire at and when she did strike it was quick and deadly. Vaan used his speed, quickly attacking the crafty, smaller Mimicks before they leeched the electric conduits of their power. Balthier was incredibly cool headed despite the horde of fiends we were up against, like Fran, he chose his moment carefully to attack. Basch was just how I would expect a captain of war to be. He used a deadly mix of power and agility.

I decided to contribute to the battle and try to cast a blizzard spell, yet every time the words of the spell flooded my mind a Mimick would attack and I would be forced to deal with it. At one point I had allowed myself to be so distracted by the spell I was pinned by one of them.

"Edie!" Vaan dealt the fiend a swift blow with his sword, knocking it off my torso. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded, jumping back to my feet, shaking off the heart juddering feeling that I had almost died. "Cover me so I can cast a spell."

He did as I requested and finally I felt the familiar surge of energy. I pushed it onto the Mimick Queen. The shards attacked her like a thousand frozen spears, but still this didn't halt her attack. I cast the spell again. Fran had also adopted this form of attack. Soon Balthier did the same and we swamped her with ice attacks. Basch and Vaan kept up with attacking manually, striking at her powerful legs. Eventually, she fell. Her violent death shook the chamber so much that the stonework began to crack and crumble.

"Time for us to take our leave before this place falls on our heads." Balthier said, shoving his pistol back into its holster.

We dashed out of the gates and along the tunnel beyond them not stopping until our feet came into contact with soft sand.

The sun's rays were blinding. I shielded my eyes from their onslaught with a hand against my brow. We were all covered in dust making us look like ghosts. I patted down my outfit attempting to rid it of the dirt. My hair was a lost cause. I would deal with it when I returned home. I cast a glance back to the mouth of the passage. It had caved in completely, leaving nothing but rumble.

"To think Dalmascan air could taste so sweet." Came Basch's, rough voice.

"Where are we?" Asked Vaan.

"The Estersand, by the looks of it." Balthier informed. "Let's back to Rabanstre before we shrivel up. By your leave, Captain."

"Yes, the hour of my leave is already over late. The people may hate me, but that does not free me of my charge." He said, walking off down the slope and into the desert. We followed.


	15. Chapter XV

Author's Notes:

Cool, this Fanfiction now has had over 5,000 hits! Thanks! :)

Also, Katreda, don't worry about me becoming bored with this Fanfiction, it's my guilty little pleasure. I'm also itching to finally write the in-game scenes and scenes of my own on Mt. Bur-Omisace.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

**

* * *

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**Chapter XV: Welcome Home**

The desert was none safer. Wolves roamed in large packs. They would attack quickly, thinking we were easy prey. I tried to stay the furthest distance away that I could from the commotion all the while casting my trusty blizzard spell. I would only move from my spot to aid another of our group when a wolf had got the better of them. The worst injury I treated had been Vaan's. A wolf had managed to seize his forearm, even after Basch had slain the beast its jaws still held fast to the young boy's flesh. We eventually managed to pry it loose. The sight made me gag. Vaan's skin was in shreds and blood flowed freely. It covered everything, his arm, his clothes, it even dripped onto the sand below. He quickly swallowed down two potions, one straight after the other, like I would have done if they were Ponche con lima chupitos (Ponche-Spanish liqour- with lime shots). I watched, fascinated as the open wound rapidly healed. He wriggled his fingers and moved his arm back and forth to test he had ingested enough potion to fully heal him back to normal. We moved on.

* * *

I was relieved when we were finally back in the familiar surrounds of Rabanastre's South Gate. It always bustled with energy. Travellers, venders and tourists alike were entering or leaving the city. Luckily the best thing about there being such a large crowd was that we could slip into the city unnoticed. Basch turned to face us.

"I thank you." He said, sincerely.

"I'd avoid crowds if I were you." Said Balthier. "In this town you're still a traitor, you know."

"The Resistance will surely find me soon." He looked over at Vaan. "Fates will that we meet again. I would pay my respects to your brother." With that he walked away.

"You're both fugitives now, too. Stay low for a while." Suggested the sky-pirate.

It probably was best we didn't enter the city together after all we did look like an odd rabble. I shrugged off the leather bag full of potions. I held it out to Fran who mutely took it with a nod of her head. They both turned to leave.

"What about the stone?" Vaan questioned, pulling it out from his pocket. They paused.

"Do as you like. That stone's ill-favoured."

"We feel regret. We sought that stone and found ourselves only worry." Fran said, her eyes flitting from the stone to me.

"You offering it?"

"It's mine."

"Then why'd you ask? Our regards to your girl..." He looked from Vaan to me before adding, "Your other girl." I folded my arms and rolled my eyes.

I had better be on my way also. I was worried about Penelo. I wondered if she had even heard of my incarceration, I hoped not. There was also another thought pestering me, I was late for work.

"I've better get going. I missed work yesterday thanks to being locked up. Tomaj's is going to kill me!" I sighed. Vaan merely nodded, his attention was held by the stone. I might as well have spoken to a brick wall.

I left him with his thoughts and passed through the gate. The guard didn't give me a second glance despite my no doubt suspicious looking appearance. I still had baggy men's clothing on. As I briskly walked onwards, something caught my eye. It was Basch. He stuck out like a sore thumb thanks to his shaggy appearance and battered coat of armour. He was making his way to the Muthru Bazaar. The market was still heavily guarded by the Imperial soldiers, one of them was bound to spot him and cast him back to Nalbina. I scampered towards him, evading the crowd that was moving the opposite way to me. I didn't want to shout his name, as that would only draw more attention to him and besides his name was now renowned for all the wrong reasons. I finally reached him just as he was about to descend the steps down to the Bazaar. I grasped his elbow.

"Wait!" He spun round. The surprise on his face was almost amusing. "You shouldn't go in there. It's full of guards. They'll recognize you."

"I am in need of a change of wares. The Bazaar is the only place I can go about getting them under the cloak of the crowd." He explained.

I looked at him. Did he honestly think he could blend into the crowd? That nasty scar was enough to gain curious glances from passersby.

"Then I'll get them for you. The merchants know me, they won't be suspicious." I said. A plan was already rapidly scheming in my mind. It seemed pretty solid. I decided to go through with it.

"You'd do such a thing for me?"

"Sure.. You helped us get out of Nalbina. Take this and go and wait near the Low Town door for me, okay?"

It was probably the one place he would fit in. There were many vagabonds and drifters in the Low Town so his loitering around there wouldn't raise any eyebrows. I shrugged off the leather strap that bound my spear to my back and handed it to him. We parted and I strolled along to the Bazaar. Using quick glances, I saw that I had been right to worry. With things calming down from the uproar of the Resistance attacking, more soldiers were free to now return back to their normal posts. I kept my head down and shuffled along. I came to a stall that specialised in men's clothing. I quickly selected some clothes in what I imagined Basch's size to be. He was still sickly thin yet despite this you could tell he was of a large frame. His shoulders where defiantly broader than say the likes of Vaan so I tried to choose garments that looked wide enough to fit his form. Now all I needed was shoes.

"Hello, Edie. Haven't seen you in a while." Greeted Senga as I approached her stall. She indiscreetly eyed my strange getup.

"Yeah, that Tomaj is a real slave driver. He's got me cleaning out the storage room, that's why I'm wearing these. I didn't want to get my dress dirty." I said light-heartedly, gesturing to my outfit.

"I see. So what are you after?"

"Erm some sandals." I said looking at the vast selection that was accumulated on her stall. My eyes quickly found some that looked like they might fit Basch. "I'll take those, there." I said pointing them out.

"There a bit big for Vaan's feet, don't you think?" She said puzzled but picked up the footwear and handing them to me anyway.

"Oh they're not for Vaan! Tomaj even has me doing his shopping, told ya he's a total slave driver!" I laughed handing over some Gil I had in my bag. I had been a little surprised the guards at the Nalbina dungeons hadn't taken it upon themselves to confiscate it from my bag. Perhaps they had grown tired of rummaging through the tat that they took from prisoners before locking them up.

"Well at least it keeps you outta trouble." Senga said with a smile. If only she knew I was chin deep in bother.

I said my goodbyes and hurriedly made my way over to the other side of the merchant's district where the entrance to the Low Town was. I looked around for him. He was sat, leaning against the wall, his eyes closed as if sleeping. He made a pretty convincing tramp.

"Hey." I said leaning against the wall, looking the other way so civilians walking past wouldn't think we were together. "I got some clothes and some sandals."

He rose and glanced at the brown paper wrapped packages that I held in my arms.

"You are most kind." He thanked and lifted his hands to take the packages from me. I hesitated.

"Erm.. There's just one problem, you see not only do you look like you've just escaped from the dungeons.. But you kinda smell like you have too." I felt a little awkward discussing personal hygiene with a man I barely knew. Although, I knew he couldn't help it, he had been locked up for two years.

"Of that you are right." He said, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"I have a place in the Low Town. You can shower and change there if you want." I offered, whilst finally handing him his new attire. After a long pause he agreed, thanking me yet again.

* * *

I shoved open the door to the apartment and activated the string of light crystals that hung round the edge of the ceiling. Penelo wasn't home. Basch had to duck to enter the undersized doorway. Luckily, once he was in he was able to stretch to his full height again. I had never realised how stunted the door was.

"The washroom is just through there." I said, pointing to the back wall. No doubt he'd have to stoop to get through that door as well.

I felt a little uneasy that I had invited a strange man home, almost on impulse. I would have never done such a thing back home. I quickly reassured myself I was just being charitable. There was something else that was throwing my senses off balance, Basch was a man. I had spent all my time here in Ivalice with teenagers and children that it suddenly seemed strange to have this older, taller, stronger person in our home. Once he was gone, I attempted to shrug off this feeling and picked up a letter that was on the dining table.

'_Edie,_

_Thank you for covering my shift. I made you your favourite, hare tagine._

_Enjoy!_

_Penelo.'_

Despite only being sixteen, Penelo sure as hell could cook up a storm. I entered the kitchen and found a large pot full of the meat in a sticky, sweet sauce. She had even cooked some rice to accompany it. I smiled. As I heated up the pot, I heard the pipes of the shower rattling. I should probably offer him some. After all, I doubted he had eaten a decent meal in ages.

I sat down at the table with my food and ate it in peace. Usually the apartment was so chaotic thanks to the orphans running in and out and Vaan constantly causing trouble. It made a refreshing change to the norm, it was almost a luxury. After I had finished, I returned to the kitchen to wash my plate. I then began filling another plate with the tagine and rice.

Basch had left the washroom by the time I had finish plating up some food for him. I placed it on the table for him, watching a puzzled look flicker onto his features. He looked different, better. He had trimmed his long, dishevelled hair so that it stopped at his jaw line. His beard had also been shaved so there was only the slightest bit of stubble decorating his jaw. Without all that hair masking his face I finally noticed that he had blue eyes. I glanced at the outfit that I haphazardly chosen for him. It was incredibly mishmash but still I suppose it was better than the rags he had been wearing earlier. I noticed I had also gauged his size wrong on one item of clothing.

"Guess the shirt doesn't fit, then." I said. It only seemed to fasten at his lower waist. It was a good job I had also grabbed a leather waistcoat to wear over it otherwise most of his torso would have been bare.

"It matters not. I am most grateful to be out of the armour of a dead man."

"You must be hungry." I said, changing the subject and gestured to the plate before him. "Don't worry. We always have plenty of food here, it won't be missed."

"You are sure?"

"Of course! Just don't eat it too quickly. I doubt you've had a proper meal in a while, your stomach might not be able to cope at first." He nodded and sat at the table, he placed a bag he had with him on the floor beside him. It probably had his old clothes and armour in it. I turned and made for the washroom. "I'm just going to get ready for work, okay?"

After locking the door, I glanced in the old, tarnished mirror to check how bad my appearance was. The bruising that had covered my cheekbone was gone. Fran's curative magicks had wiped the ugly blot from my face when she had mended my arm. I had thought as much as I when moving along the passage way I had noticed my knees were no longer raw. I would have to learn that spell, it would prove invaluable to someone as clumsy as me. I went about washing. I was surprised how much dust was still coating my skin and hair. Finally free of dirt I dried myself off and begin to dress. I put on another cheesecloth dress, though this one had a different cut to the other I had always favoured, its style was similar to a sundress. It had thin straps that travelled down into a v-neck cut. It was shorter than I preferred for wearing for work, stopping mid-thigh and its breezy fabric was a dark green shade. I cinched it in at the waist with a decorative belt and tugged on my little waistcoat. I was glad I had forgotten to put it on the day I had got arrested. Once dressed I towel dried my hair and curled it up in a tight braid for work. As I was about to leave, I hesitated and turned to look in the mirror again. I reached into a trinket box that dwelled beside it. Inside there was a collection of beauty products that Penelo and I shared. I selected a little pot and unscrewed it. It was cheek and lip stain. I dabbed some on to brighten up my pallid complexion. I was probably the only person in Dalmasca who didn't have a healthy tan. Finally content with my appearance I left the washroom.

Basch had finished eating and rose from the table when I closed the door.

"I do not mean to keep you from your routine." He said. I noticed him take in my new appearance.

I probably looked unrecognizable dust free and in a dress. His eyes lingered at my left shoulder. He wasn't the only one who had a scar. Well, it wasn't really a scar. I had come off my moped on a country lane last year. I had fallen down hard on my shoulder, scrapping a good couple of layers of skin off as I went. It had been in the height of summer when it happened and so I foolishly ignored the nurse's advice to keep my healed, new skin covered up. As a result I have a perfectly round, dark circle on my shoulder due to sun damage.

"It's fine, really." I reassured, rearranging my waist coat to cover my blotchy shoulder.

"Still, I shall keep you no longer." He said picking up his things.

"I'll walk with you. I have to go to work, anyway." I snatched up my bag and we left the apartment. We walked through the Low Town not saying a word to one another. Civilians gave us looks of intrigue as we passed them. In this claustrophobically close community it seemed nothing went a miss. I paused at the door that led to Rabanastre's streets.

"You have been most kind to me and for that I wish I could give you than mere gratitude."

"It's nothing, really. Just think of it as a thank you for helping us get out of Nalbina." I shrugged.

"Very well, though I will see to it that your generosity is one day repaid."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that was probably never going to happen. As soon as I found Kaiser I was leaving Ivalice before I got myself or anyone else into more bother.

"Bye Basch. Good luck finding the Resistance." I said quiet enough not to let eager ears to hear.

"Fair well." He returned.

* * *

In the sun strewn streets my pace quickened. I reached the Sandsea's doors in record time. I slipped in hoping the usual disarray would mean my entrance went unnoticed. The Sandsea was back to its usual self once more. The floors were covered in spilt ale and spent cigarette ash, coating the tiles like tar. The odd roar of drunken laughter assaulted my ears and the fog of smoke shrouded the tavern in a wispy haze. I kept my head down and moved behind the bar to hang up my bag.

"Oh so you've finally showed up then." Said a snippy voice. I looked over my shoulder to see it belonged to Mido. "You should hear what people are saying about you."

"What?" I asked fastening my pinafore around my waist. She paused from unloading a tray full of tankards to look at me.

"Just that your going missing for a day has something to do with you being seen with a man who suspiciously looked like the late Basch Fon Ronsenburg." I blinked. How the hell did this gossip manage to reach the Sandsea before I did? "Is it true?" She questioned after a pause.

Now I was sure why she was chatting with me, it wasn't to take pleasure in my impending sacking but to get a better version of this story, straight from the horse's mouth.

"No, of course not!" I replied hotly. "Mido, how the hell can I cavort with the likes of Basch Fon Ronsenburg if he's a dead man?" I growled folding my arms.

"I'm not sure. The one thing I am positive about though is that Tomaj is most displeased. He's going to have your guts for garters and I can't wait to see that." She smiled.

I turned away from her, irritated by her smug smile. I bumped straight into Tomaj.

"Care to explain why I shouldn't fire you, Edie?" He questioned in a curt tone.

"I-I..." I deliberated whether or not that I should tell him the true, after all he already knew about the Boscobel Oak. "The other day after I left here I went to cover Penelo's shift at the shop. Some guards showed up asking for tax money I didn't have any so they asked for my passport. They arrested me and I was carted off to the dungeons."

"Oh? And if you were locked up in a dungeon how come you're free woman now?"

"Vaan was there with a sky-pirate and a Viera and then we ran into Basch Fon Ronsenburg. We all teamed up and fought our way out of the Nalbina and along the Barhiem Passage."

"Edie, if you don't want to tell me that's fine, just make sure it never happens again." He sighed heavily. He didn't believe me! I opened my mouth to tell him I was speaking the truth. "And I'm docking your wages for the week. Now, get to work. You can take the balcony." With that he turned his attention back to serving customers. I noticed Mido's eyes narrow in scornfulness, it was obvious she though my punishment wasn't fitting enough.

I trudge up to the balcony with a tray in hand. I hated tending to customers on the balcony. They were almost always off-duty Archadian soldiers who would go out of their way to give me a hard time. I remember once when I had first started working in the tavern I had tripped with a tray brimming with drinks. As I picked myself up off the floor soaked in booze they had howled like hyenas,

"_Whoops! How many have you had, love?"_

"_Ere' landlord! I think your girl's been helpin' herself to your liquor!" _

"_Don't worry darlin', even sodden in ale you're still the finest Dalmascan bird 'ere."_

I still cringe to this day about that. I went about retrieving empty glasses and tankards and stacking them up on my tray as I weaved in and out of tables. There weren't that many of the usual Archadian mob up here, which put me at ease. My thoughts wondered to Penelo. I hoped she was okay. She would probably be working at Migelo's right now. I could always swing by there, after I had finished here. I would have to explain to her why my wages were going to be so meagre this week. Someone up ahead snapped their fingers at me, trying to get my attention.

"A little service, please!" Despite having his back to me I knew straight away who it was. Those brightly coloured rings decorating his fingers were an instant giveaway.

"So much for laying low." I said to him once I was at his side. His head snapped up and that irritatingly smug smile tugged at his lips. Fran was her ever closed-mouth self and merely remained in her statue like stillness.

"So the jailbird is but a humble waitress, quite the shock."

I felt anger stir within me. It was pretty rich that a sky-pirate of all people was mocking my occupation.

"I'd rather be a _humble waitress_ than what you are, Balthier." I said offhandedly.

"Seems as you are indeed a humble waitress I care not for your opinion." He stared at me expectantly. I sighed and said,

"What would you like, sir?" Suddenly a mob of drunken guards seemed like a breeze to serve.

"Ah, said with such gusto! I shall partake in a bottle of your Barose wine and Fran will have a chilled bottle of soda water."

"Excellent choice." I turned and left. I went about gathering their drinks trying to ignore the irritated feeling that was vibrating through my form. Returning to their table once more, I placed down the soda water and glasses and then held up the bottle of Barose wine. "Would you care to sample the wine first?"

"Very Well. I tend to make swift work of landlords who attempt to fool me by filling superior labelled bottles with cheap wine." I sloshed some of the wine into his glass. He went about taking his time to try it, swirling the cherry hued liquid around the glass and then bringing it to his nose so he could smell its sweet aroma. I was sure he was doing it just to annoy me. He finally took a delicate sip. "It will do well." I topped up his glass and turned to leave. "Before you scuttle off, care to comment on the hearsay that's been travelling around this tavern." He said cocking his head slightly.

"Why is it no surprise to me that _you've_ heard it?"

"I was the very one who set it in motion." He stated simply.

"_What?_" My irritation had just bloomed into full blown anger. How dare he do such a thing!

"I saw you slink away with the good Captain earlier. What can I say? With my colourful imagination and way with words a scandal was inevitable."

My grip on the tray tightened. I wanted to use it to clout around his arrogant head.

"I swear if I wasn't working right now-" I growled through clenched teeth.

"You'd what? Smite me with your spear?" He chuckled taking another sip of the wine. "I saw you down there, when we were in the dungeon. You were most interested in him."

"Only because he could barely walk!"

"He seemed of able body by the time we reached Rabanastre's gates."

"I was helping him-"

"And I'm sure the Captain was most appeased." That little smirk of his grew wider, insinuating just how I went about appeasing him.

"You don't want to be barred from here, do you?" I spat. I doubted I had the authority to do such a thing but Balthier didn't know this.

"And you don't want an audience for the next chapter to this salacious rumour, do you?" He asked lifting his eyebrows. I turned to see my outburst had gained the attention of some of the other drinkers.

"What are you on about?" I ignored the curious glances that were now aimed in our direction. Balthier gestured in a smooth sweep of his arm to the floor below.

"Your champion cometh, that's your cue to go all weak at the knees."

I looked to the tavern's doorway to see Vaan and Basch move from it and head to the bar. I moved towards the stairs to go and see just why both of them were here and more importantly, why they were together. I had thought Vaan was still unsure about Basch's explanation, what had caused him to change his stubborn beliefs all of a sudden?

"You there!" Growled a distinguishable voice. I quickly repositioned my gaze from the lower floor to see Migelo was half-way up the stairs flight. He wasn't addressing me. I whipped round and saw his gaze was fixed on the odd couple, the sky pirates.

"Migelo, is everything alright?" I asked moving out of his way so he could enter the balcony.

"Something most terrible has happened all at the fault of those wretched rogues!"

"Balthier and Fran?"

His eyes narrowed at the mentioning of their names. He waddled past me and approached their table. Naturally I followed, it was about time Balthier got his comeuppance and I wasn't going to miss it.

"Do you have any inclination as to what havoc you've wreaked?"

"Obviously not." Balthier replied coolly and took another sip of his wine. His laid-back response only caused Migelo to tremble with anger. I placed a hand on his arm in hope to calm him somewhat. Migelo was a little too old to start a fist-fight.

"You gave Penelo your handkerchief."

"That's what has you so riled? Panic not, I wasn't asking her hand in matrimony I was merely keeping the girl from being arrested alongside her friend. I'm sure you would agree that-"

"Those head hunters saw the whole thing! They're a despicable kind and an injustice to our race, they have taken her!"

"What?" I gasped. "M-Migelo, are you sure?" I suddenly felt sick.

"A misunderstanding, nothing more." Interjected the sky-pirate. "Bounty hunters they may be but they're not the brightest of Bangaas."

"You mean to say they will do her no harm?"

"Probably. They'll soon figure out that she holds no merit or threat to their bill. It is as I said, a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? What I am understanding is they took Penelo because of you!" He roared.

"What? What about Penelo?" We all turned our heads to see Vaan approaching the table, his brow furrowed in confusion. Basch stood a few paces behind the boy.

"Oh, Vaan! They've taken Penelo. And there was a note- a note for this Balthier. Come to the Bhujerba mines, it said."

"It's Ba'Gamnan. He was in Nalbina." Fran informed him.

"If anything were to happen to that sweet child- why, I've her parents' memory to consider! You're going to go to her aid, and that's that! It's what you sky-pirates do, isn't it?"

"I don't respond well to orders." Balthier's tone had a hint of tetchiness weaved through his words. "You do know the Imperial fleet is massing at Bhujerba?"

"Fine, then I'll go!" Said Vaan. Our head snapped round again to look at him. "You at least have an airship, don't you? Just get me there and I'll find Penelo myself."

"I'm going with you." I said.

"Edie, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do. This is all your fault, Vaan! If you had just listened to Penelo for once and hadn't gone through with your stupid schemes, you wouldn't have been arrested, Penelo wouldn't have been there and have been in the inconsolable state she was in and Balthier would have had to have given her his handkerchief. You've screwed up too many times, I'm going." I placed my hands on my hips illustrating I wasn't going to back down.

"Fine." He sighed.

"I'll join you." Said Basch, stepping forward. "I have some business there as well."

"An audience with the Marquis, by chance?" The sky-pirate questioned with the slight tilt of his head. Basch didn't confirm, which probably meant he had guessed correctly.

"Balthier, just take us and this is yours." Vaan produced the amber stone from his pocket and shoved it under the older man's nose.

"The gods are toying with us." Fran sighed. Balthier allowed a noise of annoyance to flutter free from his lips before rising from the table.

"Make yourselves ready. We leave soon." He said as he paced away. Fran wordlessly strutted after him. I turned to Migelo.

"Don't worry. I'll see to it Penelo gets back here safe and sound."

"I pray that you fair safely. Please watch over Vaan, his befriending of strangers and sky-pirates puts my nerves on edge. I would hate it for him to become engulfed in a world he knows so little of."

"I will." I vowed with a nod before turning and following the others.

I quickly moved behind the bar and untied my pinafore. I promptly swung my bag over my shoulder and turned to leave to catch up with the others. There was just one thing stopping me, Tomaj's questionable stare.

"I'm sorry. I have to go, Penelo needs my help... I don't know how long I'll be."

"Going to go rescue her from the dungeons?" His sarcastic tone was edged in irritation.

"Something like that. Dock my wages again, fire me if you want. I don't care. I need to go help her." I said pushing past him.

"Whatever have you gotten yourself into this time, Edie?" He sighed. I paused and looked over my shoulder at him.

"I'm not quite sure yet." Was all I offered before continuing to walk onwards.

* * *

Vaan and I returned to the apartment to pick up some things, including our weapons. I stuffed whatever I thought may be of use into my little bag. I knew Fran would still have her bag of potions and other curative tonics so there was no point in taking the one bottle we kept in the apartment for emergencies.

"Why do you suddenly trust Basch? What made you change your mind?" I asked tugging on my spear's strap.

"I dunno. I just know what he said is true. It has to be. Everyone's against him, even the Resistance but he still wants to help. Not many people would do that, you know?"

"I guess."

"From what I heard, you seem to trust him pretty well." Vaan said with a smile. I paused in rearranging my strap and narrowed my eyes at him, warningly. Great, even Vaan had caught wind of Balthier's little rumour.

"You do know Balthier started that gossip. What about him, do you trust him as well?"

"Sure. You don't?" I had a niggling his unflinching trust in Balthier was probably down to him being an actual sky-pirate. He might as well be Vaan's idol.

"No, I don't, not one bit."

"Don't trust him or don't like him?" Snorted Vaan.

"Both."

* * *

As always I would love to know what you think!


	16. Chapter XVI

Author's Notes

As always thank you so much for the reviews! There's just one thing that I changed in the 'Strahl scene', which is the Moogles. I never understood why they could talk in the game but not in the video cutscenes. Anyway, this chapter is uber long so enjoy! :)

Disclaimer 

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XVI: And my running feet could fly, each breath screaming we are all too young to die.**

We regrouped with the others at the Aerodrome. Balthier was ahead of the group and went to go and sign out his airship at the private vessels booth. Afterwards, we made our way from the busy lobby to a docking chamber. It was gigantic and sunlight flooded in through the open sky-light overhead. It made the mechanic marvel in front of me seem all the more realistic.

"This is the Strahl." Balthier said, introducing us to his ship, proudly.

I had seen airships from afar when they were calmly ploughing through the skies so seeing one up close was all the more surreal. The ship was probably a great deal smaller than the cargo ships but that didn't stop it from being big. Its structure was birdlike, though so alien from our own aeroplane designs. Its turbines rested underneath the craft, Two large ones at the front and two smaller at the rear. Being ever excitable about such a subject Vaan bristled with joy.

"She airship enough for you?" Questioned Balthier.

Vaan dashed forward only to slow after a few paces in awe.

"The Strahl. You really are a sky pirate!" He gasped spinning round to face the airship's owner.

"Well, the head hunters seem to think so."

We walked towards the airship. Even I tilted my head back in wonder at it. "What's the good word? Is she ready?" I suddenly noticed who he was addressing. Three Moogles were exiting the airship's chamber door.

"Kupo!" One squeaked, "Ready and ravenous for the skies!"

They jumped down the small flight of metal steps and passed us, happily bowing their head's to each of us as they passed. I had read that Moogles were incredibly resourceful and good with machinery, making them the perfect mechanics.

Despite Vaan being awestruck by the ship in front of us it didn't seem to affect his mouth- nothing ever did- and he started jabbering away, speaking aircraft lingo.

"So is she armed? How fast is she? Could she take the Ifrit?"

I ignored his excited questions and boarded the ship.

"I suppose I could tell you but wouldn't you rather see for yourself?" I heard Balthier reply.

I smirked. Boy was he going to get tired of Vaan's constant stream of questions before the ride was through.

We all filed in after the two sky-pirates as they lead the way to the cockpit.

"Fran, our course." He said as the two took their seats in front of the controls.

"The shortest way is over Dorstonis." She informed.

"How flies Bhujerba?" Basch asked them as he entered.

I silently followed, whilst Vaan brought up the rear. His dawdling was down to him gawping at everything.

"Oh, she's free as can be, for now." Balthier said. Vaan had caught up with us and pushed past so he was hovering behind the two pilots. His eyes were alight with bliss. "The Empire took notice when they announced the Princess' suicide and your untimely execution."

"If it becomes know that I am alive, the Marquis will lose their favour." Basch said, stepping forward.

"I try to steer clear of such things." He flicked a switch engaging the ignition. The craft whirled to life. I sat in a chair that was in the third row back. Basch and Vaan occupied the two in front of me. "Right. It's time to fly. And no wagging tongues or you're like to bite them off." No doubt who he was talking to there.

The seats didn't have seat belts so I dug my nails into the leather like hide that covered it. The ship vibrated with vigour and soon enough began to hover and levitate. The sky-light overhead opened further to allow the airship to pass. Once we were out and spun in the right direction, it rocketed off, the g-force was enough to slam my head back against the seat. Luckily, after the ship had settled amongst the sky, sailing became smoother.

Once Balthier no longer had to focus his attention on the control panel in front of him, He leaned back into his seat and said,

"We've cleared take-off. You may roam the decks if you wish." Vaan didn't need to be told twice. He jumped from his seat as if his butt was on fire. "Although I warn you thief, anything goes astray and I'll claim your head, understood?" He questioned in a stern tone.

"Okay!" Vaan nodded enthusiastically. He then turned and practically flew out of the cockpit. A brief silence passed before Balthier craned his head over his seat to look back at me.

"Not going with him?"

I sighed and rose. I should probably keep an eye on Vaan, make sure he didn't do anything stupid like open the cabin door. I trudged out of the cockpit and went about searching for him. The airship was surprisingly roomy, the corridors were well lit and there were even stairs leading to another, smaller floor. I assumed that was where the sleeping quarters were. I walked onwards through the bridge and soon came across Vaan. He was stood at a large window, admiring the sky.

"This is amazing, huh?" He asked his eyes not leaving the never-ending stretch of blue that was laid out in front of us. Had he really forgotten why we're here?

"I guess." I shrugged.

"You guess? Edie, we're on an airship!"

"Which we are using to fly to Bhujerba to rescue Penelo from a bunch of bounty hunters, or have you forgotten?" I said in a testy tone. I turned to gauge his reaction. He turned to face me also, the sky forgotten.

"Of course I haven't!"

"Could've fooled me." I sighed. We stared at each other for a while, sizing each other up. "Is this what you want Vaan?" I broke the stifling silence.

"More than anything. If I was a sky-pirate things would be different."

"Hmm you're right. You'd be constantly running form the law as well as the likes of bounty hunters and all other kinds of dangers."

"What do you care?" He snarled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I care because what you do affects Penelo. Look at the situation we're in now. Penelo's being held captive because of you and your pig-headedness. Do you think it will be any different when you become like Balthier? Would you really be okay with Penelo being in danger all the time?"

"Fran seems to handle it okay."

"That's because she's Fran. She's a Viera, a warrior... Penelo's just a girl. She shouldn't have to be dragged along for the ride just because you want to go through with something stupid."

"I'd never make her go or do anything she didn't want to."

"It wouldn't matter. If you're going to go through with it then so will she."

"What makes you so sure?"

Was he really so ignorant?

"Trust me on this one. If you went, she'd follow." I said.

I swiftly turned on my heel and left. I marched through the doorway, my jaw clenched tight in exasperation. I bumped straight into someone coming the opposite way.

"I beg pardon." Apologised Basch. He gently gripped my arm to steady me. I shrugged him off.

"It's fine. I wasn't looking where I was going." I looked up at him.

He was another one I was uncertain about. I had been sympathetic to him and his problems beforehand but that was because I thought I'd never see him again. I had been so sure of it because we were so different. There was no way we would run in the same circles in normal circumstances. I almost laughed aloud at that last thought. _Normal circumstances_. Just what were normal circumstances in Ivalice?

"Are you quite alright?" He pestered, probably unnerved why I was so silent.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." I said and continued down the corridor to find the cockpit again.

According to Balthier, Bhujerba was a long distance from Rabanastre. It neighboured the Balfonheim Port, near Archadia, which was all the way at the other end of the continent. I slumped back into my seat and stared ahead at the large driver's window. Small, wispy clouds fluttered by, brushing the glass with their vapour. I nervously tapped my fingers. Would we have to fight Ba'Gamnan? My thoughts went back to how infuriated the Bangaa had been in the dungeons. Even though I had seen him from afar I could remember how his muscles became decorated with raised veins, as if his blood was boiling. I shuddered. I wouldn't last five minutes against someone like him.

Time slowly sailed by and soon I noticed land ahead of us.

"Bhujerba is upon the horizon." Fran confirmed, fiddling with the many levers and buttons that were before her.

"We made good time." Balthier said complacently. "Be seated for landing!" He said into the small hand-held speaker, like a radio transmitter.

It was so he could inform others, like Vaan who was still all the way at the back of the ship. The boy eventually trudge through with a grumble, disenchanted we had to dock.

I glanced ahead to see something incomprehensible. Islands, large, populated, green islands floating in the sky. I pulled myself to my feet so I could get a better look. It was amazing. The huge clumps of earth were buoyant but unmoving as if anchored by some unseen force. I gasped.

"I said, be seated." Balthier said, tilting his head. He soon saw my enthralled expression and his authoritarian look quickly gave way to an amused smile. "Some say Bhujerba's beauty cannot be matched."

I sat down and the airship swerved around the largest of the islands, which had a large fortress nestled amongst something that I could only describe as outsized bird wings, pale blue tinged bird's wings. It was so surreal, so striking I failed to think of a place on earth that wouldn't pale in comparison.

We finally docked in an almost identical chamber. I dragged myself to my feet feeling tired but glad I was on solid ground once more. We all exited and moved along into the lobby, where Balthier checked in the Strahl with a clerk. After that small matter was attended to we moved to leave the Aerodrome. A swarm of Archadian guards quickly ran through the lobby.

"Easy." Said Balthier to Basch. It was obvious the flock of officers were scouring the city for him. I was curious as to how they would know Basch would come to Bhujerba. Perhaps hearsay travelled fast in these parts.

"No good he's not 'ere." I overhead one solider inform the other.

"Keep searching!" Another demanded. With that they swiftly moved on.

"You're a dead man. Don't forget it." Balthier reminded, whilst walking away. We followed. "And no names."

"Of course." Replied the dead man.

The sunlight outside was bright yet it lacked the sizzling heat that rained over Dalmasca. I preferred this cooler climate. There was a wonderfully light breeze too due to the city being in the skies. I freed my hair from its tight braid and used my fingers to loosen any knots. It was just what I needed after the long flight, the breeze playfully toying with my hair. We wandered along the street that led from the Aerodrome. It was a bridge that allowed passage to the city. I walked along the side, which was made from thick stone and gazed at the scenery that stretched out beyond it. It truly was breathtaking. Due to the thin, gauzy clouds that floated around the island and the small rustic looking airships that flew through them it appeared as if the island had sunken. As I paced onwards my eyes still dancing about the sight before me, I allowed my fingers to brush the stone wall of the bridge. I eventually had to withdraw my hand as a young boy was leaning on the slabs of stone. He too was admiring the view.

We soon paused and Balthier, who was much enjoying he role as leader of the group said,

"The Lhusu mines are just up ahead. Though, I do hear there's not much left there these days."

"You're on your way to the mines?" Questioned a youthful voice. We turned in its direction. It belonged to the boy who had been leaning over the bridge's wall. He hopped down and walked towards our group. "Then please, allow me to accompany you. I've an errand to attend to there."

"What manner of errand?" Basch asked.

"What errand? I may ask the same of you." He replied looking from Balthier to Basch. I wondered if someone so young knew who they were. It seemed unlikely.

"Right, come on then."

"What?" Vaan sounded as surprised as I was.

In the dungeons, Balthier's 'the more the merrier' attitude had been understandable as the more people we had in our group the better chance we stood of grasping freedom. So why was he now indifferent about this boy joining us? He probably wouldn't be able to hold his own in battle. It would be more like babysitting. There had to be some alterative motive lurking underneath of this seemingly innocent invitation.

"Excellent." The boy smiled.

"Do me a favour and stay where I can keep my eye on you. Should be less trouble that way."

"For both of us." He agreed eyeing the soldiers who had just exited the Aerodrome.

"So what's your name?" Asked Vaan.

"Oh, I-I'm Lamont." I wasn't the only one who had caught his hesitation. Fran's ears were doing that spooked deer thing again.

"Don't worry. I don't know what's in that mine, Lamont, but you're in good hands." He said pacing forward and reassuringly placing his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "Right, Basch?" He smiled, turning to the captain.

I was unsure whose forehead I wanted to slap, mine out of sheer embarrassment at Vaan's stupidity or Vaan's in hope to knock some sense into him. From the looks the two older men exchanged it was clear similar thoughts were gracing their minds. Basch even sighed heavily. Vaan eventually twigged and cringed in humiliation.

As we walked around the winding streets of Bhujerba I allowed myself to steal quick glances at our newest member. He was about twelve, still a child but oddly enough he dressed almost like a noble lord. He had a white shirt with voluminous sleeves that tapered at his wrists to reveal white gloves. Over this he wore a navy waist coat that was belted in at the waist due to it not being tailored to his body. A pair of shorts and well crafted leather boots finished his look. The clothes were of a superior quality compared to the likes of my flimsy dress of Vaan's barely there waistcoat. They looked on par with Balthier's crisp, shirt and well-made jerkin. Though I was sure the pirate had managed to afford such an outfit thanks to all the plundering he did. Then there was his hair. It was longer than most boys his age would wear it but it was immaculately kept- he had less split ends than I had! Finally his accent, the way he spoke indicated he had been schooled well.

I marched on trying to divert my wandering eyes elsewhere. Luckily, we soon found our way to the mines' mouth. It hadn't been like I expected it at all. It was majestic like the rest of the city with large pillar like structures surrounding its passage way. We descended some steps and paused in front of the mammoth entry.

"The Lhusu mines: one of the richest veins in Ivalice." Balthier informed. It was quite handy having him around, his constant need to inform us of the knowledge and trivia he was privy to meant I didn't have to keep asking questions that made me appear on Vaan's brainwave.

"Under Imperial guard, no doubt." Basch speculated.

"Actually, no." Said Lamont as he stepped forward towards the older man, "With but few exceptions, the Imperial army is not permitted within Bhujerba. Well, shall we proceed?"

I smirked. Seems the sky-pirate wasn't the only well informed person present. Lamont walked off and we followed. Entering the gloom, we descended another long flight of steps and finally came to some dingy tunnels. A sound all caused us to simultaneously pause. I had heard that sound before, in the dungeons. It was heavy armour in movement.

"Quick!" Hissed the young boy and he hid among the decorative stone pillars that lined the walls.

From the shadows we watched as four men walked passed, unaware of our presence. One was undoubtedly a Judge. His decorative armour and cape gave away his rank. Although his helmet differed greatly to Gabranth's it was still just as terrifying. Were all of their helmets fashioned to resemble goblins and demons? Trailing behind him was a soldier. The man that kept pace with the Judge seemed of a wealthy position due to his clothes and the fact he held a cane but had no hint of a limp in his step. Behind this man paced a strange creature that resembled a cat. It was of the same height and build of a man, it even dressed like one but its face was covered in auburn fur and I noticed it had a stunted tail sprouting from the back of its pantaloons.

"You will forgive me for asking, but are you diverting the purest of Magicite-" Began the Judge.

"I can assure you it reaches Lord Vayne most discreetly." He promised, pausing at the flight of stairs we had come down not but a few minutes before. The Judge made an amused sound.

"Ha!" He also stopped and turned to look back at the noble man, "You wear your saddle well."

"Be that as it may, I have no intention of being bridled, you Honour."

"Then you prefer the whip? Stubbornness will see not only you broken, Excellency, but Bhujerba as well." The Judge threatened. With that said the group once again began walking up the steps.

With the coast finally clear we slunk out from our hiding places.

"Halim Ondore IV, the Marquis of Bhujerba." Lamont informed as we watched the Judge and the Marquis reach the top of the steps. I had heard that name before. Ondore, hadn't Basch said he wanted to silence him? "The Marquis served as mediator at the negotiations of Dalmasca's surrender. It would appear he is somewhat less neutral now."

"They say he's been helping the Resistance." Balthier said. This caused Lamont to turn and face him.

"They say many things." He said with a smile.

"You're certainly well informed. Who did you say you were again?" The sky-pirate's interested tone had changed into one of dark suspicion. Before he could question further or Lamont side-step the tricky enquiry, Vaan butted in.

"What difference does it make? We have to find Penelo." He huffed, walking away.

For once I actually agreed with him.

"And Penelo is your-?"

"She's a friend. She was kidnapped and taken here." He explained before taking off. We followed.

We trekked onwards through the constricted corridors that were shrouded in shadows. I was becoming more and more nervous with each step I took, there had to be fiends down here. It was the perfect environment for them, dark, dingy and cool.

"Here." I looked to my side to see Fran offering me her bag. I accepted it with a nod and slung it over my shoulder so its strap lay across my torso just like all the other straps. I suddenly felt like a pack horse thanks to all these bags and bits. I opened the bag and went about checking how many of each potion we had. That was when I noticed it. Tucked under all of the bottles, was an old leather bound journal that was cracking with age. I gently pulled it from the bag. It was so old that many pages had come loose and the whole dilapidated bundle was bound by a length of fraying cord. "That is not for your eyes, girl." Fran said, darkly.

I quickly stuffed it make into the bag and with an apologetic smile said,

"Sorry." I said quietly. I kept my head down and moved onwards.

The corridors soon gave way to a large tunnel that had railway tracks on either side. Although I was grateful that it relived the claustrophobic feeling that had been crawling over me, I still wasn't calm. There were many bats around. The brown creatures were larger than any bat I had seen back home. I remembered the time when one had taken refuge in our wood burner.

_It was freezing in here. People would be surprised how cold it could get in Spain in winter. I tugged on another jumper in hope the extra layer would warm me up. It didn't work. The problem with Spanish houses was that they were built to keep cool. The floors were always fashioned from tiles and in the rustic houses the walls we incredibly thick with cement and plaster to keep out the sun's heat. This was fine until winter came. I shivered and let out an irritated noise. I was surprised I couldn't see my breath when I exhaled._

_"Jorge! Encender la chimenea!(Jorge! Put the fire on!)"I called to him._

_"Otra vez? (Again?)"He said entering the living room._

_"Por fa! (Please (slang))" He sighed, a sign that meant he'd given in. He moved to open the wood burner's door that was made from fire-proof glass and trimmed in iron. It creaked audibly as it opened. In that instant a small shadow darted out from the darkness. I shrieked in shock. The shadow suddenly started to fly in circles above our heads, around and around the lights of the ceiling._

_"Que coño fue esto?(What the hell was that?)"_

_"Tranquilo, solo es un murciélago.(Calm down, it's just a bat)" Jorge laughed. He then took a coat and swiped at the little creature, attempting to capture it. It took over an hour to finally get it. It had eventually grown tired of weaving circles above our heads and settled on the curtains, at the very top. Jack caught it using the coat and placed it in a shoe box so I could get a better look at it. It was so tiny. They looked so much bigger on television. _

_"Nunca me he visto uno de eso antes.(I've never seen one before)"_

_"De verdad?(Really?)" Jorge asked, shocked. He was a country boy so had grown up seeing all sorts of wildlife in the Spanish mountains. _

_"Bueno, en documentales si pero nunca en el mundo real__.(Well, I've seen them in documentaries but never in real life.)" I said watching the small bundle of fur and delicate skin vibrate and chatter. _

The bats would swoop down low, nearly skimming our heads. Balthier fired a shot at them.

"Blasted bloodsuckers!"

They weren't scared by his gunshots, instead more and more flocked towards us after hearing the deafening noise echo down the tunnel. Balthier muttered a curse. We quickly tried to kill them off using magicks before more of them showed. They were too nimble for even Vaan to attack so we mainly relied on Fran's arrows and Balthier's bullets.

I hated it. Their leather wings beat against my face and their little claws raked at my hair, making it hard to concentrate to cast my blizzard spell. After a lot of ducking and diving, gunshots and spells the tunnel was suddenly silent. We had defeated a good number, whatever had been left had fled when they realised they had underestimated their pray.

I watched curiously as Fran bent down to pick up a few of the dead bats. She strung them together like game kills and handed them to me. She noticed my disgusted expression.

"They shall fetch good Gil. Bat wings and fangs are used to make medicines most powerful." I wanted to ask her if she thought it was such a good idea, why didn't she carry them? Although I had to admit she was a bit intimidating. I accepted the bundle of bats and stuffed them into the potions bag. We moved on.

The tunnel soon opened up into what was probably once a loading bay. I looked about the area to see we were walking along a raised platform and either side of it was small paths with stairs leading up to where we were standing. There was a lot of natural light too thanks to the constrictive walks opening up into large portholes. All you could see out of them was the sky and snatches of Bhujerba's countryside. A breeze fluttered along this open area, suggesting that the windows didn't have any glass.

It was quiet, deadly quiet. I paced forward, my boots made an audible noise as I went. Something didn't feel right about this silence. It was sinister and threatening. I was about to voice this when the dirt rumbled underneath me and from it burst a skeletal form. Its bones were a dark grey colour and were splintering with age. It held a spear in its hands and looked as if it wished to use it against me for disturbing it in the first place. I squealed in fear and jumped back, which lost my balance and fall back on my butt. Despite this I still managed to scuttle away from the zombie like creature.

"It would seem the mine's guardians no not of time." Lamont said, drawing his sword.

They quickly brought down the fiend, leaving him nothing more than a pile of decaying bones once they were through. I hadn't budged an inch from cowering on the floor. Balthier offered me his hand. I accepted it and pulled myself to my feet and quickly dusting my dress off.

"Stay at the back of the group." Was all he said to comfort me.

I trudged on after them. It wasn't long before we reached what seemed like the end of the mine's track. We entered a cavern that was speckled with what looked like precious jewels. Their stones radiated a soft glow, which in turn illuminated the small space with a deep blue light. Mist floated playfully around the caves walls. I couldn't even stop the gasp of awe escape my lips, it was so stunning. It was as if we had just stumbled across a smattering of stray stars. I ran my hands over one of the walls. It was ice cold, stinging my drifting fingertips with its chill. Lamont, who was at the head of our group, knelt down and touched the floor.

"This is what I came here to see." He said softly, his voice ricocheting off the jewel encrusted walls. He reached into his waistcoat and pulled from it a similar jewel that's glow was slightly brighter than the rest. He held it to the floor as if using it to gauge something.

"What's that?" Vaan asked as we crowded around him to get a better look.

"It's Nethicite. Manufactured Nethicite."

"Nethicite?" The older boy repeated dumbly.

"Unlike regular Magicite, Nethicite absorbs Magical energy."

"You mean like this?" I questioned holding out my hand so Lamont could see my wrist. His eyes curiously traced the prisoner's cuff that decorated my wrist. They widened. "The guard said it was something similar to Nethicite, a by-product."

"Of that it is, yet it is still effective. That is why they use it for these cuffs, so prisoners can't conjure magicks. How is it you can cast spells with this on?"

"Dunno." I shrugged. "Maybe it's faulty." His attention waned from my cuff and returned back to the stone.

"This is the fruit of research into Manufactured Nethicite. All at the hands of the Draklor Laboratory." He rose from the ground and paced towards the cavern's far wall. He did it dreamily as if enticed by the strange hue before him. "So this _is_ where they're getting the Magicite."

Balthier was suspicious, I had seen that look grace his face a few times when speaking to Lamont. He followed the boy.

"Errand all attended to then?"

"Thank you. I will repay you shortly." Lamont said, not bothering to turn round.

"No. You'll repay us now. We have too much on our hands to go on holding yours." This did cause him to turn round. By this time Balthier was opposite him but that didn't stop the sky-pirate pacing closer. "So where did you hear this fairytale about 'Nethicite'? And where did you get that sample you carry?" He quizzed in a low tone. Lamont soon ran out of space to step backwards and away from the older man. His back was pinned against the shimmering rock, he looked up at him. From where I stood it was hard to tell if he indeed was intimidated by Balthier. "What do you know of the Draklor Laboratory?" Lamont turned to try and side-step him but Baltheir placed his hand against the cavern's wall, blocking his path. "Tell me, who are you?"

"Bathier-!" Vaan's meddling was cut short.

"You kept us waiting, Balthier." Said a raspy voice. I knew who it belonged to straight away. Ba'Gamnan. We all whipped round to see four Bangaa blocking the cavern's only exit. "You slipped away in Nalbina. We missed you!"

He secured a large circular saw atop a short staff and the menacing looking device instantly began to spin. Its high pitched whirl sounded like that of a rusty chainsaw. The other three that accompanied him also sported sinister weapons that could easily have doubled as implements of torture. "First the Judge, and now this boy. The whole affair has the smell of money. I may have to wet my beak a little."

Ever the coolheaded, Balthier retorted,

"Keep your snout in the trough where it belongs. This thinking ill befits you, Ba'Gamnan."

"Balthier!" The bounty hunter snarled taking a step forward, his snout growing longer in an evil sneer. "Too long have I gone unpaid! I'll carve my bounty out of that boy!"

"Where's Penelo? We're taking her back!" Vaan said bravely. He looked like he was ready to take the pack on. My pluck however had sunk into the cavern floor, my eyes never left the weapon that the bounty hunter wheeled.

"The girl? Why keep the bait when you've landed the fish? We cut her loose on the way here and then off she ran, crying like a babe."

I sighed with relief. At lease these they weren't cold enough to have murdered her when Penelo had become of no use to them. Still that didn't make the situation we were in now anymore reassuring. A large glowing object propelled past me and smacked Ba'Gamnan right in the face, causing him to recoil and snarl in pain. The offending item clattered to the floor. It was the Manufactured Nethicite. Lamont dashed forward to retrieve it once more and when he had his make-shift weapon back in his clutches he pushed past the momentarily blinded Bangaa and took off running. We also took off. I even noticed how Balthier shoved his archenemy over, knocking him to the ground in his moment of weakness. Fran elegantly jumped over his wriggling body.

As we reached the mouth of the cavern I heard the bounty hunter bark to his comrades "After them!" Oh great they really didn't give up did they?

"Hey wait up!" I heard Vaan shout to Lamont.

"We'll not be able to take them all! Fight who we must, leave the rest!" Said Balthier as he and Fran over took me.

Running seemed to be a common reoccurrence for me in Ivalice. I was always running away from something. My feet pound the ground hard and I quickly settled into a rapid but steady breathing pattern. Luckily, I was fairly good at running. I did a lot of it back home, whether it was jogging around the country lanes or at the gym on a treadmill. The only problem was my heart was already beating to its own fearful feverish rhythm thanks to having some pretty nasty bounty hunters on my heels. I pushed onwards trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and not why I was running for my life.

We swerved about the grounds, often breaking up our group to go down different tunnels and stairways in hope to outmanoeuvre them, yet they were relentless. Growing tired of this tactic, Balthier drew his gun and whilst still fleeing, fired off a shot behind him. The sound was deafening thanks to us all being tightly bunched together in our retreating troupe- I might as well have been stood at his side. Fran also decided to adopt this newer plan and plucked a hand grenade from her were her arrows were stored on her back. She pulled the pin and shouted a warning before lobbing it behind her. That defiantly was enough incentive for my already frantic pace to quicken. The last thing I needed was to have a limb blown off. The bomb detonated and the sheer force and heat of the explosion attacked my back. The ground suddenly became unstable, shuddering violently. I struggled to keep my balance. As soon as I recovered and was able to speed up once again, Fran threw another bomb behind us at our attackers.

This time I was unable to keep my balance. I was slammed to the floor by the aftershock of the explosion. I lay their momentarily sprawled out on the mine's train tracks. It was so surreal as if the sheer shock of what was going to happen to me if I didn't budge or haul myself up and catch up with the others sent my senses into overdrive. It was like experiencing hyper reality. Everything was so clear and palpable. The sound of Ba'Gamnan's chainsaw like weapon, the heat from the explosion still licking at my back, the sting of my skinned palms, everything was happening slowly, deliberately. I managed to sit up, although I still had to use my hands that were planted on the floor to steady me. As the group carried on running, I saw one of them suddenly stopped and turned.

Vaan had noticed I had fallen. Without hesitation he ran the opposite way to the others, back towards me. In what seemed a blink of an eye he was right in front of me, stooped, his hands outstretched. It was probably the first time I had every really bothered to really look at him properly. He had a youthful, almost effeminate face that was currently shifted into a look of pure worry. He was worried about me? His eyes normally cold gaze had shifted into a glimmer of determination. He seized my hand and yanked me up from the tracks. I wordlessly complied and we set off running again. His iron grip on me never once loosened. Despite the fact that his metal gloves were grating against the raw flesh of my palms I felt no pain. I was in shock, running on autopilot. Had Vaan really just saved me? Well, it wasn't like he had before, but that had always been in battle. This situation was different, we were fleeing and I had never before seen such a look of concern on his face when helping me.

We ran, pushing onwards not stopping until we reached the last of the mine's tracks. We all stood still straining our ears to see if we could pick up the sound of the Bangaa's footsteps or the whine of Ba'Gamnan's weapon whirling. Nothing.

"It would not seem they follow. We've lost them." Fran confirmed.

"Much more running about with Bangaa at my heels and I'm apt to give up sky-pirating all together." Balthier sighed. He looked back at Vaan and I who were still holding hands. Clearly embarrassed by this now Vaan quickly dropped my hand.

"Where's... La..mont?" I asked in between pants. How was it I was the only one out of breath?

"He ran off up ahead." Vaan answered.

We decided to catch up with him. We jogged up to the mine's exit, hoping the younger boy would be there waiting. As our running slowed to a pace we all took refuge behind some of the many decorative pillars that edged the mine's vast doorway. Two familiar figures were stood waiting. Lamont calmly walked out into the warmth of the natural light and approached them in the small courtyard. The Judge and the Marquis. I was curious, something didn't seem to add up about this situation how come Lamont was calmly approaching them now when down in the mines he had ran and hid.

"I see you've been out walking without the company of your cortege, Lord Larsa" Greeted the Judge.

Lord, did he just address him as a Lord? I crouched next to Vaan whose look of bewilderment no doubt echoed my own. We watched as the 'Lord' approached the two men. The soldier who had been shadowing the Judge earlier in his trip down the mines moved slightly to reveal the last person I was expecting to see stood amongst them. Penelo! Despite my heart suddenly booming in my ears I managed well enough to stay still and listen. I heard Vaan gasp and he pushed past me to move forwards, towards his friend.

"No." Balthier quickly seized his arm and pulled him back behind the pillar. "We wait and watch."

"We caught her wandering out of the mines." I overheard the Judge comment, "You must take care with such undesirables about."

"I was kidnapped-" Penelo began to protest but the Judge cut her short.

"Silence!"

"If it is a crime to wonder on one's own then, I too, am guilty." The boy said, stepping in front of the Judge so his attention was diverted from Penelo and her impending punishment. "Marquis." He now turned to address Ondore. "I trust that your estate has can accommodate another guest?"

"Why not?" Was all the elder man said.

"Judge Ghis, I shall heed your counsel. I will not travel unaccompanied any longer." He paced over to a bewildered Penelo, took her hand and led her away.

"That was unexpected." I heard the Judge say, amused at the boy's quick scheming. They too also left the area.

We all watched their group ascend the flight of stone steps.

"What's Penelo doing?" Vaan asked, once more peering round the pillar. "And what's the deal with that Lamont?"

"That's no 'Lamont'." Stated Balthier as he walked past Vaan towards Fran and Basch who had been lurking behind a pillar opposite us. "Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. Fourth son to Emperor Gramis and brother to Vayne."

Now everything made sense. How this seemingly average boy knew all that information on the Marquis, why he had hid from the Judge in the mines and why he could request that another person stay with him at the Marquis' estate- he was pretty much royalty! Despite this it didn't make me feel any less uneasy about Penelo's safety.

"What? That Kid?" Vaan surprise was amusing.

"Do not worry." Reassured Fran. Vaan and I looked over to her. "I believe he will treat her well."

"Nobody knows men like Fran does." Balthier smiled.

"Our purposes lead the same way: To Ondore." Basch said, interrupting Fran's dark stare that she had placed on her fellow sky-pirate. I stifled a smirk. "We must find means to approach him." He began walking from the mines.

"The Marquis is channelling money to organizations opposing the Empire. We'll start there."

I followed them enjoying how nice it was being free from the musty air of the mines and once more wrapped in the comfortable warmth of the sunshine. We paced up the steps in silence, Balthier and the others were probably raking their minds for a successful scheme.

"Marquis Ondore announced my execution two years ago." Said Basch, he then turn round to face the rest of us it seemed he had beaten the sky-pirate drawing up ideas "If news of my survival were to spread, the Marquis may find his position compromised."

"The men he'd been funding bear little love for the Empire. They won't be thrilled to discover that rumours of your death were, in fact, greatly exaggerated. If we were to raise a clamour to that effect, we might just get their attention."

"And how are we going to do that?" I asked. The proposal was a good one but it was still in lacked something.

"Nothin' to it! I'll just go about town and spread the word." Said Vaan, excitedly. "How 'bout this?" He puffed out his chest placed one hand on his hip "I'm Captain Basch Fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca!" He declared a little too loudly, causing me to grimace. Surprisingly, loitering citizens turned their heads. "Well, whaddaya think?"

"That certainly qualifies as a clamour..." was all Balthier faired to comment on the boy's performance. The smile that was tugging at my lips was proving too hard to resist. "Alright Vaan, get to it." He then turned to me, "Perhaps you might be of use too." It seemed he hadn't missed my amused face.

"Me?"

"It will be more convincing with the two of you. Besides you and he have worked together before doing such things, am I right?"

"Y-yeah but that was different." I said not liking the idea of what would happen when we did finally gain enough attention, I doubt these organizations were going to welcome us warmly.

"This is for the girl's sake as well as our own." He stated, crossing his arms. I looked from him to Vaan, who simply offered me a determined nod.

"Okay." I sighed.

I guess Balthier knew mentioning Penelo was bound to collapse any objections I had ready to dish out.

"The more people around to witness your performances the better. If we're going to reach the Marquis it's up to you both. We'll be waiting here if you need us."

Vaan and I walked off away from the group and back into the streets of Bhujerba. I couldn't believe it, here we were in the most picturesque city I had ever seen and we had to go scuttling about and convince crowds that Basch Fon Ronsenburg was alive and kicking. I sighed heavily. I turned to look at Vaan.

"What happened in the mines..." I started, still puzzled by his past actions. "You helped me."

"S'not like I haven't done it before." He shrugged.

"I know but it was different this time... you were worried."

"Only because Penelo would kill me if she knew I had let bounty hunters take you captive too!"

I guess I was reading into things too much, or perhaps there was the slightest chance he was warming to me. I hoped it was the latter.

"So, how do want to do this?" I asked, changing the subject.

He stopped walking and grinned.


	17. Chapter XVII

Author's Notes:

Hello again. Here is 2011's first update. As always thank you for your awesome reviews, they make me smile.

I tried to use some of Bhujerba's dialect, which is actually Sanskrit so I'll put a quick glossary here:

_Sakhaa_- friend

_Udaasiina_- stranger

_Murkha_- fool

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

**

* * *

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**Chapter XVII: Exo-Politics**

"I'm Captain Basch Fon Ronsenburg of Dalamasca!" Vaan proclaimed in a bustling street.

His efforts were rewarded in stares of annoyance and disbelief.

"I don't think this is working." I sighed, "We've been caught three times by the guides and that one over there is now looking this way. If we get caught again they'll probably throw us in the dungeons."

"Bhujerba don't have dungeons."

"Well the bloody mines then! Point is this isn't working."

"Oh yeah? You got any better ideas?"

A long silence passed as my mind went about thinking up of a better plan than our current one, which consisted of Vaan chirping he was Captain Basch while I kept a look out for any guards or guides that would shoo us along.

"Well, how about..."

* * *

At the large plaza I walked, tilting my head back in wonder at the tips of those strange wings that framed the fortress. They were gauzy and nearly transparent, causing me to ponder how they would feel under the touch of my fingertips. I then wandered to the plaza's edge where most of the tourists had come to admire the scenery. I noticed in the corner of my eye a large group of locals all lazing around and chatting. I turned and approached them, a map in my hand.

"Hi there." I greeted. I made sure I altered my voice so it sounded more like Vaan and Penelo's almost American accent. It wasn't too hard to pull off thanks to growing up watching American sitcoms like 'Friends'. "Sorry to bother you but I think I'm lost. Would you mind showing me the way to the sky-gardens, I heard they're lovely this time of year."

I smiled and gestured to the map in my clutches.

"Certainly." Smiled a young woman. She moved forward and we huddled together to look at the map. The rest of the group stood watching us converse with a slight curiosity. It was probably because I was a foreigner, either way, at least I had their attention. "You need to take this street here, pass the Technick shop and the take a right." She explained whilst tracing her finger over the map's fading illustration of Bhujerba. "It's fairly easy to find."

"Thank you. This is my first time travelling. I'm always getting lost, good job I'm not a sky-pirate or a calligrapher's guide!" I laughed.

"From where do you come, sakhaa?"

"Rabanastre, Dalmasca." I said, returning her smile and folding up my prop.

"Ah! I have a cousin there. She says it's a beautiful city just a shame about the war chocking it though."

"I know. That's why I thought I'd travel a little, get away from it al-"

"Hey! Break it up you two!" Shouted a voice from behind us.

We all snapped our heads round in the direction of the commotion. Two men were in the middle of exchanging blows. Some of the men who had been stood in the group moved to pull apart the two brawling Humes.

"What caused this?" asked one of the locals.

The girl and I paced toward the large crowd that had gathered because of the fight.

"He is to blame. He tried to steal my wallet!" Growled the first fighter, pointing a finger at his opponent.

"Is this true, udaasiina?"

"You think me some common thief?" Questioned the accused in a rough voice. "I am Basch Fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca. Captain of the Order of Knights, not a pickpocket!"

I almost cringed again at Vaan's attempt to be manly but managed to stay in character nonetheless.

"Fon Ronsenburg is dead! He's a murkha as well as a thief!" The man who Vaan had attempted to rob barked, still riled by the whole situation.

"He's not lying!" I insisted, pushing through the crowd. I whirled round to glance at the horde who all had looks that ranged from mild interest to shock. I turned and looked at Vaan. "Good gods... it is true." I gasped, bringing my hands to cover my mouth in astonishment. I widened my eyes in disbelief and slowly dropped my hands so they hung uselessly at my sides. They revealed my mouth was agape. "It really is you! How can this be...? Y-You're dead... My brother, he was a soldier, he fought alongside you.." I moved closer to Vaan now, my eyes narrowing with hatred, my shoulders held ridged and my fists clenched tight. "Everything that has happened was because of you. Everyone that's died, every single one! My brother he trusted you and he lost everything!" I lifted a trembling hand and slapped Vaan across his cheek. The whack could have easily rivalled any soap opera starlet's slap. A rosy tinge soon bloomed where I had stuck him. Murmurs soon weaved through the crowd.

"This man really is captain Basch?"

"He must be. Look at that poor girl, she's grief stricken."

"Don't be foolish! The Marquis announced he was executed for treason years ago."

"Still, if her brother fought at his side she must know what he looks like."

"Ondore publicized his death, he-"

"Don't believe Ondore's lies!" Boomed Vaan at the crowd, silencing them. "The very reason I stand before you is to stop him spreading these lies just to keep peace with the Empire!" With that, he quickly turned on his heel and marched off, barging through the small sea of spectators.

"Are you alright?" Asked the young woman. She kindly handed me my map that I had dropped when I had lashed out at 'Basch'. I nodded in response. "I can't believe it. Basch Fon Ronsenburg, alive."

"We should spread the word. If the Marquis has been lying about his death who knows what else he has tricked us into believing!"

"You are right there, sakhaa. I will tell others of what I have seen."

"Thank you." I said before saying my goodbyes to her and left.

* * *

Running down one of the alleyways I finally found Vaan. From the way he was stood with his arms tightly crossed over his chest I could tell he was annoyed.

"I said no more hitting me." He growled when I approached. "And stop pretending you have a brother who was a soldier."

"Sorry, I find it easier to stick with what I know." I said with a shrug. "Besides I have to hit you, it looks more convincing. You wanted to beat the crap out of Basch the first time you saw him." Vaan's eyes narrowed in irritation. "Look, why don't we take a break? I have to go and sell these things anyway, they're beginning to smell." I said pulling out the dead bats that were strung together.

"Fine. We'll meet up at the sky-gardens then."

"Okay. See you later." I turned and exited the alley and walked to the item shop.

Fran had been right. The shop owner happily bought the dead carcasses off me for a nice buddle of Gil. I decided to use a small amount of it to replenish our stock of curative items. Once that chore had been done I left the shop and strolled down the cobbled streets, taking in the city's sights, just like any normal tourist would. My wandering brought me to a Technick shop. I liked these shops. They reminded me of libraries due to their hushed atmosphere and the fusty smell of parchment and ink.

I entered and began scanning the shelves that were stacked with all kinds of books on almost every subject regarding combat. I picked up the odd one that appealed to me, 'Styles of Spear Combat', 'Spear Skills for Novices' and 'The Sainikah Manual to Spear Fighting'. It would seem I would need to do a lot of reading in order to improve on my current flimsy fighting techniques that all involved screaming, running away and swinging my weapon in an inelegant fashion.

I decided to buy the Sainikah Manual which was the most interesting by far as it offered not only what moves were best for which spears but also what state of mind you had to be in whilst in combat.

As I plodded on back to the counter, still leisurely looking at the rows and rows of book spines all lined up, a title in gold stole my attention. The Orgain- Cent. I gasped and quickly snatched up the book. I had found it! I was expecting it to be harder to find than that. I flipped through it to find it also had illustrations in detailed ink sketches. I looked for anything that could give reason why Kaiser might be seen as a threat but I failed to find any at first glance. I shoved the book under my arm with the manual and went to the counter to pay for them, feeling content with my purchases.

With my shopping done I briskly walked over to the sky gardens to see Vaan sat on one of the ground's decorative walls, waiting and ready to perform our act yet again. As I neared a large, dark skinned Bangaa approached him. Although I wasn't close enough to hear their exchange, it soon became ugly. The Bangaa swiftly stuck the boy with his fist and with Vaan momentarily stunned, he scooped him up and slung him over his shoulder before lumbering off. I trailed them, keeping a safe distance behind the Bangaa as not to rouse suspicion. He came to a tavern, much like the Sandsea and entered the alleyway next to it. Glancing round the corner of the alley I saw him enter a backdoor.

A tavern was a bit of an obvious place for radicals to gather, if I had know they would have been so unimaginative, me and Vaan wouldn't have had to spend the whole of the afternoon performing such shenanigans. I grumbled about this under my breath and turned and burst into a sprint, I didn't stop until I reached the outskirts of the mines.

The group were where we had left them, waiting. Balthier sat atop a wooden barrel, examining his pistol, making sure it was clean and functional no doubt. Fran stood at his side and Basch had his back facing me, he was observing the mines. The two men perked up when I approached, Fran was already aware of my arrival thanks to her super refined hearing.

"Well?" Balthier questioned, hopping down from the barrel.

"They've taken Vaan. He's in the back room of a tavern called The Cloudbourne not far from here."

"Hmph, such amateurs! Seems they're following the rebel's rule book a little too closely."

"We should be swift. They will soon realise Vaan is an imposter and will certainly rewards his efforts with their fists." Basch said, already walking away.

We quickly ran to the tavern and without hesitation, Balthier yanked open the door and entered. It was dark inside. The only light that illuminated the innards of the tavern was cast from dimly flickering light crystals. I followed the others as they moved behind the bar. There was just one thing stopping us from entering the backrooms, the barkeep. When he protested, Balthier drew his gun and said,

"Your acquaintances have something of mine. I'm merely going to take him back." His tone was cheerful but laced with a dark threat.

The barkeep sighed in defeat and stepped aside, causing me to believe he didn't really have much to do with the rebels.

Beyond the door was the kitchen, storage room and another room where raised voices could be heard echoing down the corridor.

"But why this boy, and why Captain Ronsenburg? An explanation is due, and I will hear it. The Empire's hounds grow passing bold indeed."

Before the boy could even answer him, Balthier decided this was the opportune moment to make his entrance. He threw open the door and swaggered in.

"A shame if they learnt the Marquis trafficked with the likes of you. Agents masquerading as guides. A hideout at the back of a tavern. Not exactly earning high marks for originality, are we?" I could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

I stayed at Fran's side in the doorway. I don't think I could handle another scrap. From the sour looks decorating the mob's faces, it would seem his jibe had struck a nerve. There were five men in the small room, one of which was one of those strange cat-like creatures.

"Now you've done it!" Snarled the Bangaa, whose large frame was curled tight, ready to pounce at any second.

Basch pushed past us and entered the room. His presence quickly diffused the tension that had rapidly tainted the air.

"Wait!" Barked a man who was sat at the head of a table, he was undoubtedly the group's leader. His was the voice we had heard before. Like all of the citizens here, his accent was tinged with an Indian twang. The Bangaa immediately calmed. "So Basch Fon Ronsenburg does yet live." His eyes remained unblinking as he took in the captain's form.

"Told ya." Vaan rubbed at his sore head.

"This only raises more questions to which more explanations are owed."

"And I shall answer them." Basch nodded.

The story that the rest of us were all too familiar with now was told once again. I took the opportunity to lean against the wall and let my thoughts drift elsewhere, they all seemed to pool around Penelo's safety and just what 'Lamont's' intensions were for whisking her away.

"I knew there must be more to it, but to find you at the end of this tale..." The rebel leader trailed off and allowed a chuckle of amusement to escape him before saying, "Ah, to see the marquis' face when he learns of it."

"I should like nothing more. I would meet him and see for myself." Said Basch.

"How say you my lord?" He turned his head from Basch and to the cat-like creature who hadn't yet uttered a word.

"There is little to be said." He replied, his accent so much stronger that the Hume's. "I shall arrange a meeting with the Marquis. We shall expect you at the estate." He turned and left the room.

I peeled my back from the wall when I saw the others also made for the exit. I cast a backward glance at the group of radicals, who were now chatting amongst themselves. I suppose it wasn't an everyday occurrence that they met with a ghost.

* * *

Apprehension churned in my stomach. It was quickly becoming clear to me that our invitation seemed more like an arrest with each passing minute. We followed the cat-like lord as we were escorted by guards who walked either side of our small group. Nobody had looked pleased today when Vaan and I were convincing civilians Basch was alive so I dreaded what the Marquis of all people would do when the man he had once announced dead comes drifting into his estate.

The estate was the large fortress that was adorned with those strange wing-like structures. It was so vast it made the Rabanastre royal palace look like a mere cottage. We entered a mammoth foyer which was decorated with detailed tapestries that depicted how Bhujerba came to be. According to the wall hangings, the gods created the city in order to be close to man.

"Please end your gawping, you look like a simpleton, or worse, a tourist." Balthier said, prodding me in the back as a rude prompt for me to carry on walking.

I conveyed my distaste with a tut but began putting one foot in front of the other again.

We were led up countless flights of stairs and along many corridors that were decorated with paintings of marquises past. Eventually, our trek came to a halt when we entered the large oak doors that lead to the Marquis' study. Sat behind the desk was Halim Ondore, a pensive expression etched on his aged features.

As I filed in after the others I allowed my eyes to sweep around the room. Like everything else in the estate it was majestic and outsized. At the back wall, facing the desk, was a wonderful statue of a creature that resembled a lion with wings. I moved towards it and read the inscription at the sculpture's base. It said, 'Angelion, guardian of the skies'. My concentration on the mythical creature was broken when the voice of the Marquis reached my ears.

"Sir Basch Fon Ronsenburg. It was not very long ago I announced you had been executed." He said, his chin resting on his intertwined hands.

The only emotion his face portrayed was a slight look of wonder. I wondered if Basch was disappointed with his reaction.

"And that is the only reason I draw breath." He replied, darkly.

"So you're the sword he's strung above my head. Vayne has left not a thing to chance."

My mind flickered to work out the situation. So Ondore had announced Basch dead at Vayne's request in order to keep him happy and Bhujerba out of the war. Now that the disgraced knight is indeed living this could be bad because his people would become distrustful of him due to his fibbing. Still, there had to be something else, some other reason why our current situation could be a threat to this man of power.

"And?" He questioned Basch.

"A leader of the Resistance has fallen into Imperial hands. A woman by the name of Amalia." Again with this Amalia. I wondered who she was. "I would rescue her, but I need your help."

"This resistance leader- this Amalia. She must be very important." He mused, sitting back in his chair. Basch, being a man of little words, merely conveyed how important she was by bring a hand to his chest and bowing his head, a clear sign of respect. "You understand I have my position to consider." Said Ondore as he rose from the chair.

Vaan quickly step forward and seeing this as the fitting moment to ask,

"Would you let us see Larsa. He has my friend with him."

"I'm afraid you're too late. Lord Larsa's cortege has already rejoined the Imperial detachment. I am told they will depart for Rabanastre upon the arrival of the fleet this evening tide."

This wasn't good. The Imperials could easily find out that we're meeting with the Marquis. Was this a trap? Fran's ears pricked at some far away sound.

"The Leviathan is near. She's deployed subcrafts. They make their way here with haste!"

Vaan was the first to react as he moved towards the two older men who were still in the midst of a stare down. Balthier quickly intervened and seized his arm with an iron grip. The teen struggled and fidgeted.

"What are we waiting for?" Vaan spat at the sky-pirate.

"For you to calm down." Was his witty reply.

"Captain Ronsenburg." Said the Marquis, "Surely the exigencies of position are not lost on you. Why indeed, you should find the enemy's chains an easy burden to bear."

There was the slightest of smiles on his aged features. I glanced over at Basch who had a look of shock adorning his normally expressionless face. Balthier had quickly sussed the situation.

"Wait!"

Basch turned to us and merely said,

"Sorry. Can't be helped."

With that he drew his sword. He wouldn't really attack the Marquis, they were on the same side, right?

"Summon the guard." Ordered Ondore.

An attendant, who had been stood with a stillness that eerily resembled a statute, swiftly became animate as he turned and opened the doors. A swarm of the estate's guards flooded into the room. They quickly apprehended us and slapped handcuffs on our wrists. I didn't put up a fight, what was the point? I'd only be rewarded with a sharp backhander for my efforts. I had learnt that from my previous arrest. Oh god I had been arrested twice in less than a week! So much for a clean criminal record, I could now add threatening the life of a Marquis to the ever expanding list of offenses I was quickly tallying up.

"They're to be taken to Judge Ghis." The Marquis said before returning back to his chair.

We were ushered away and led back through the grounds until we were once more in the foyer. There waiting for us were a group of Imperial guards. We were passed over to them and they fitted us with proper handcuffs, the big sturdy kind that I had had on when being taken to Nalbina. They also made quick work of parting us from our weapons. Neither of us spoke a word when we were being carted off to the monstrous airship that loomed overhead. Despite this I could tell Balthier was annoyed by the way his jaw was clenched and due to Vaan's constant fidgeting I assumed he was apprehensive about finding Penelo aboard the Leviathan.

Once on the ship we were escorted to the brig where the Judge awaited us. There was someone else stood with him, although she wasn't bound like us she was still indefinitely a prisoner, the soldiers that fluttered around her like flies suggested so. I paused in my steps and allowed my eyes to flit over her. That pink miniskirt was incredibly familiar. So this was the resistance member, Amalia. It would explain why she had been taken away from the rest of the delinquents when they were arrested in the waterways. She had been a higher threat to the Imperials than the pirates and thief she had temporarily banded with. Still, that didn't explain why she wasn't bound in chains and slung in a holding cell.

"The prisoners my Lord." Announced one of the soldiers who had accompanied us.

The Judge, Amalia and the handful of guards who were at the head of the brig turned to see what riffraff had slunk aboard. Despite it happening quickly, I managed to watch Amalia's attractive face shift into a look of shock before morphing into a sour gaze of hatred. She briskly marched forward towards our group.

"Majesty-" Basch said in a tone I couldn't quite place. It was a mixture of relief and remorse.

I was about to ponder why he had just addressed her with such a title yet her actions cut my mind short. She jerked her hand back and in one sharp swoop, brought it across Basch's face.

"After what you've done, how dare you!" She slowly lowered her hand. Her eyes were alight with anger and they never left Basch's face when she spoke. "You're supposed to be dead." The dark tone she had used didn't seem to fit her.

"Come now, come now. Have you forgotten your manners?" Said Ghis, intervening before Amalia could take another swipe at Basch. "This is hardly the courtesy due... The late princess Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca."

"Princess?" Vaan questioned.

Of course she was. It was obvious now. That was why Basch had basically fed us to the wolves in order to get here. It was why Ondore had gladly arrested us and handed us over to the Imperials. It was why she wasn't dressed in chains. It also seemed to be a growing trend, those who were announced dead were secretly alive and well. I wondered if King Raminas was still alive and breathing, because at this point it probably wouldn't shock me if he was!

"To be sure, she bears no proof of her former station. No different than any mean member of the Insurgence." Ghis informed as he moved to stand at Ashe's side.

"The Resistance." She corrected coldly, although her death stare never waned from Basch while she spoke.

"His Excellency the Consul asks the ministry of the disthroned royal family in restoring peace to Dalmasca. Those who foster instability and unrest, who claim royal blood without proof...They shall meet their fate at the gallows. There are no exceptions."

"I will not play puppet to Vayne." She spat, whipping her head round to face the Judge. Her spiteful stare had found a new target.

"King Raminas entrusted me with a task." Basch said, "Should the time come, he bade me give you something of great importance. It is your birthright: The Dusk Shard." He turned to the Ghis, "It will warrant the quality of her blood. Only I know where to find it."

"Wait. You took my father's life! Why spear mine now? You would have me live in shame!" The exasperation in Ashe's voice was thickening with each word.

"If that is your duty: yes." His bluntness seemed harsh even to me.

Princess Ashe took a sharp nip of air.

"Stop being so stubborn!" Vaan stepped forward. "Keep on like this and you're gonna get us all killed."

"Don't interrupt." She cut his interfering ways short with an icy queen worthy stare.

Instead of sticking his tongue out at her like I half-expected him to do, Vaan frowned and took a step back.

"Wha?" He questioned softly his attention suddenly elsewhere.

I felt it too. A strange sensation crept over me. It was that same strange tingle that you would get when the Mist was near. Vaan quickly rummaged around in his trouser pockets. Despite being bound at the wrists he managed to retrieve the item from his pocket without too much fumbling, the sign of a true pickpocket, I suppose. From it he retrieved a familiar relic.

"Vaan. That stone."

The group moved closer to get a glimpse of the large amber rock nestled in Vaan's hands. It was radiating a soft light.

"It was in the palace treasure."

"Well, well." I heard Balthier's amused tone chime behind me.

The Judge's cackling snagged our attention from the glowing rock.

"Splendid! You brought the stone with you! This spares us a great deal of trouble."

"Don't give it to him!"

Princess Ashe moved forward looking as if she was going to snatch the jewel from Vaan's outstretched hands, yet two soldiers quickly seized her and held her to the spot. Vaan hesitated, his eyes shifting from Ghis' extended hand to the Princess. He turned and glanced back at Balthier, as if seeking his opinion. Balthier exhaled a grunt of announce and jerked his head towards the awaiting Judge. Fran executed a brief nod. He turned back to the Ghis and said,

"You have to promise: no executions." He handed over the stone.

Once it was in Ghis' clutches he simply stated,

"A Judge's duty is to the law. Take them away."

"M'lord!" One of the soldiers barked in affirmation.

"Lady Ashe is to be quartered separately."

The swarm of soldiers quickly descended on our group, seizing, shoving and herding us away from the Judge, who was still captivated by the stone's strange glow.

We were marched along a long, winding string of corridors into the bowels of the ship. I fell in pace alongside Vaan, who was still clearly annoyed about his demand being denied by Ghis. Basch also joined us and was daring enough to say under his breath,

"So you were carrying it all along. The fates guest."

Vaan merely sighed. Balthier, on the other hand gladly gave his opinion on the matter,

"Tell these fates of yours to leave me out."

He quickened his pace slightly so he could now step in time with the Captain. Vaan and I were in front of them.

"Keep quiet!" A guard snarled.

I stole a quick glance of him over my shoulder. He had a hefty looking lance in his clutches.

"There was nothing else that I could do. You know that." Basch replied, ignoring the guard's command.

"Oh, I understand. Honour, duty, and all that." Balthier sighed. I glanced behind me again to see the guard's shoulders becoming rigged, as if they were made from stone. If Balthier was indeed aware of the increasing annoyance his muttering was causing the guard, he didn't show it. Instead he added, "I still can't believe that was the Princess."

"I said keep quiet!" Roared bucket head as he lunged forward to deal some discipline on the two felons.

A quick as a fox, Balthier seized the lance with both of his hands and yanked it forward and away from the guard, causing him to lose balance. Basch quickly finished him off as he was tumbling to the floor, he dealt a heavy blow using the blocky cuffs as a makeshift weapon.

"Huh?" The guard up front halted and spun round to see what all the commotion was.

Fran swiftly executed a powerful kick to his exposed back. He crumbled to the floor. There were just two more guards to take down. We whirled round to see one of the guards make quick work of the other. Balthier, who was still grasping the lance he had commandeered, hesitated. The remaining guard removed his helmet. Basch gestured for the sky-pirate to lower his weapon.

"The Marquis has been busy." He said to the guard as he approached him.

"Not lightly did I beg his aid." The guard stated. He then went about free Basch from his handcuffs. "Listen, it has been two full years. I alone have kept Her Majesty safely hidden. I doubted friend and foe alike. I could trust nobody."

"You did your duty and mine for me."

"I'm getting her out. I need your help."

"Of course."

And that was that, our escape had suddenly turned into a rescue mission.


	18. Chapter XVIII

Author's Notes:

I will warn you this chapter's well over 8,500 words so sorry if it's a little long. I just really wanted to include some Edie/Basch interaction towards the end of the chapter seems as there hasn't really been much of that lately due to the story's main plot.

There is one thing I changed. I never understood how the group managed to suddenly get their weapons back after they had been freed from the guards in the Leviathan.

Also, Katreda, Sanskrit is a language used in Hinduism and some forms of Buddhism. It was used in the game as a Bhujerba's native language, although it probably faded out as the centuries past due to most of the population speaking 'English' when the game takes place. (Yep, I'm such a geek!)

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XVIII: Knights of Cydonia**

The guard in disguise turned out to be Captain Vossler Azelas another member of the old Order of the Knights of Dalmasca and now a resistance member. He quickly freed the rest of us from our shackles.

"Your group is not shy of numbers this will help in battle but hinder our efforts in moving unnoticed." He said to Basch as we briskly walked down the many corridors that weaved like veins throughout the ship.

We soon came upon a gate constructed of many crisscross beams of infrared sensors.

"It is a mechanism to detect intruders within the ship. Break one of those beams and an alarm will sound, summoning the guard. The alarm should cease after a time, but it's better to avoid drawing unnecessary attention." Vossler informed us.

"Information well received, though I dare say if one of those alarms were to be tripped we wouldn't fare well in a scrap being unarmed and all." Balthier said. He even raised his hands to show they were empty for emphasis.

"Your weapons are over yonder in the armoury near the ship's cargo hold. Until we get there you will have to find other means of inflicting damage upon a foe. Come, Her Majesty awaits."

We followed him as he took off once more at a quick but steady pace. Basch was at his side, the rest of us fell behind. The two knights were the only members of the group who were armed. Vossler had his sword and Basch had the javelin Balthier robbed off the previous guard. The corridors were like a complex maze thanks to the infrared security beams. Many a time we had to double back and search for a different route. There were the odd few guards that attempted to stops us yet they were swiftly dealt with before they could radio and raise an alert. Due to being weaponless, I once again resorted to using my blizzard spell. All this practice was proving good as I was becoming quicker each time I conjured it.

The maze opened up into a large, square floor that had other corridors spouting off in different directions. Straight ahead of us was a door. Vossler used his key-card to open it and we scuttled deeper into the aircraft's belly. It led to the cargo room.

"This way. You're armaments are over on the other side of this here walkway." Vossler took off once again at a hasty pace.

His key-card also managed to open the door to the inventory. In the small room, the walls were lined with racks and shelves brimming with nearly even weapon imaginable. Here, the classic mixed with the exotic. I picked up a weapon that was an eye-catching mix of a gun and a sword. It was far too heavy for me and its weight easily pulled me to the ground. The audible clunk of the sword's steel against the tiled floor caused the rest of the gang to whip their heads around in my direction. A nervous laugh and apologetic smile later, the gunblade (which was what Vosser had addressed it as) was taken from me and I was handed my reliable bamboo spear.

Geared up once more, we moved on and down into the cargo hold. The large space was surprisingly empty. There were no crates or boxes in the vast pit, just a swarm of intimidating looking guards. They were at the far end, guarding what appeared to be another door. I think it was safe to say we had found where the princess was being held. They swarmed forward. The sharp ring of steel swords being freed from their sheaths stung my ears and sent my pulse into overtime.

"Fear not their numbers! Take down the leaders, and the others will follow!" Barked Vossler.

I yanked my spear from its harness and glance around at the armoured enemy. There were two soldiers that were indefinitely of a higher rank due to their decorative armour. Were they Judges?

"Edie, fall back!" Fran shouted.

I shuffled back to stand by her side. Balthier, Fran and I were always in the backline whilst Basch, Vaan and Vossler led the onslaught. Vossler's battle scheme worked and before long the group of guards quickly littered the floor like dead leaves.

Whilst Vossler and Basch were searching the corpses for a classified key-card to open the door, I approached Vaan. He wasn't looking too good.

"You need a potion?" I offered one to him.

He wordlessly accepted it and gulped it down. His sharp, shallow breaths soon returned back to a regular rhythm. Although he hadn't any serious injuries he had still looked like he was going to keel over. I guess he wasn't used to trying to keep up with Dalmascan knights.

"Thanks." He said once the potion's healing properties had renewed him.

I smiled as a response and we rejoined the rest of the group in search if the key-card.

"'Tis the contrivance we seek." Fran held up the key-card. She handed it over to Vossler.

The door did require both of the key-cards to be entered due to it being a high-security holding area. After a bit of fiddling about with the door's control panel we were in. There were only four cells, two of which were empty and one held two tradesmen Moogles. Ashe was in the last chamber.

"You are unharmed?" Vossler asked as he entered.

We all pooled in behind him. Ashe quickly got to her feet.

"Vossler, I-"

She stumbled slightly and so her loyal servant quickly lent her his arm to steady her once more.

"Majesty."

She quickly brushed off both his hand and his concern.

"It's nothing. I'll be fine." She seemed flustered by the fact she had just faltered in front of us all. I guess being royalty- even dethroned royalty- meant that you had to be elegant every hour of the day. I was lucky enough to never have to deal with such a burden. Her sharp stare swept over us and paused when Basch blotted her vision. "You." That dark tone was back in her voice.

"Come on, come on! Let's go! What are you waiting for? Penelo's still out there!" Vaan's fidgeting interrupted the obvious backhander she was going to deal Basch.

"We should hurry. They won't be long." Said Balthier.

"We will talk later." Vossler promised.

She swept her eyes over our group once more before emitting a heavy sigh and nodding. We were probably not the rescue party she had been expecting.

We rushed back through into the cargo hold. The deafening sound of the ship's alarm boomed through the air, its obtuse beat was like a madcap soundtrack for our daring escape. Some guards had been in earshot of its wail and came to investigate. Basch wasted no time in drawing his sword.

"Majesty. We will cut you a path."

"I will not place my trust in the sword of a traitor!" Ashe's hands balled into fists.

"Yet trust his sword we must, traitor or no. I see no other way. We track back commandeer a ship and make our escape."

Vossler's words seemed to quickly defuse her temper and she took off running with the rest of us not far behind her. Guards that blocked our path were quickly cut down by Vaan's sword or Baltheir's bullets.

"Penelo's gotta be here somewhere." Vaan thought aloud whilst I tried to kept in pace with him.

"Don't worry, we'll find her." I reassured, trying to keep the worry out of my voice.

Vossler's plan hadn't mentioned finding Penelo in the slightest, not to mention it was going to be hard to find her with all this commotion going on. It made me wish that I had gone looking for her whilst the rest of them were rescuing Ashe. Just because Penelo wasn't royalty didn't mean she didn't need rescuing.

We hurtled down corridors. The heavy patter of our feet could be heard through the blare of the alarm. All the corridors looked the same, were we even going the right way? Suddenly the corridor gave way to a large space and before I could reassure myself that we were indeed heading the right way, two figures dashed into view from an adjacent corridor. A boy and a girl. A blonde haired girl.

"Penelo!" I gasped.

I was surprised we had stumbled across her but more surprised by how my heart had clenched with joy at seeing her. All the worry and fret that had been accumulating since Migelo had told me of her kidnapping was wiped away by a surge of relief.

"Vaan, Edie!" She smiled and rushed up to us. She threw her arms around Vaan.

"It's okay. We're okay." He said after a moment locked in the embrace. They parted.

"Forget about us! Are you okay?"

She smiled that big Cheshire cat grin of hers and hugged me, only afterwards did she say,

"I'm fine. Larsa saw to it that I was safe."

Both Vaan and I glanced over at the young boy talking to the others. I had been too glad to notice that the rest of the group were now absorbed in conversation.

"Lady Ashe. By all rights you ought not even to exist. That you and Captain Ronsenburg were made to appear dead is like a hidden thread laid bare. Your actions hereafter will pull at that thread and we will see what it unravels... This is our chance. We must see this through and get to the bottom of it. I believe 'tis the good of Dalmasca and the good of the Empire."

"Very well then." Ashe said.

"Thanks _'Lamont.'_" Vaan's voice was laced with sarcasm.

Larsa turned to look at the three of us stood a little way off.

"Er.. I must apologize." Vaan merely grunted in response. "Penelo, for you." He closed the space between them in a couple brisk steps and held up a familiar glowing rock. He handed it to her. "May it bring you good fortune."

"Thanks." She said with a smile and curled both hands up, cradling the Manufactured Nethicite.

He turned and said to Vossler,

"Let us go."

Vossler glanced over at Basch the two exchanged brief nods before we went our separate ways. We set of running again, this time I had a spring in my quickened footsteps. Everything was going to plan. All we had to do is get off this airship and we'd be back in Rabanastre by tomorrow.

"How did you come by these people?" Penelo asked as we ran after Basch and Ashe, who were leading.

"It's a long story, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

"Well, as soon as we're out of here I'd wish to hear it."

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Deal!" She giggled.

Our merriment was cut short when we raced through a large door and into a room that looked somewhat similar to the brig. It was the airship's hanger. There was a strong breeze whirling through the large space. It was as if it was a sign, a sign that freedom was near. The only thing contradicting that optimistic indication was Judge Ghis stood not far off in waiting, swords and all. We skidded to a halt, causing me to bump straight into Basch. Luckily he was too focused on Ghis to be concerned with me.

"Such a great shame." The Judge said, although there was no hint of melancholy in his tone.

He began to stroll along the walkway that was used to access and exit the ship. He had either hand resting on both weapons he carried. One was an oversized and heavy looking broadsword, the other a beautifully intricate metal fan. "I must confess: I thought you were the one who would help us restore peace to Dalmasca. No matter. We hold the proof of your royal lineage. A maid of passing resemblance will serve our purposes now."

Typical that the Empire would have a plan B. It was also typical that we were once again surrounded by low ranking Judges. They flooded in through the glass doors, which promptly closed behind them. I swung my eyes front once more. I could see that rigidness quickly locked Ashe's limbs so tight she was trembling with rage.

Judge Ghis halted. He was a fair distance away but now directly in front of our group. A hand left the hilt of his sword and once it was outstretched a brilliant luminance began to pulse and grow. I suddenly felt like cowering behind Balthier and Fran, who were behind me.

"As for you my dear..." He launched the ball of light into the air.

It soon began to swell and grow, the air whirling around was quickly turned a threatening, fiery red. It was as if the energy was sucking all the moisture out of the air as it quickly became uncomfortably dry and hot. My heart clenched like a fist. There was no way any one of us had a spell that could counter this type of magicks. "The Empire requires you no more!"

The ball of energy was flung at us. I flinched and raised an arm to shield my face. I waited for the blitz of fire that was surely going to burn me to a crisp. It never came instead the heated atmosphere quickly returned back to normal. I glance up confused. What the hell had just happened? Massive floating fire balls don't just disappear into thin air.

"What was that?" Penelo said as she slowly lowered her hand.

She had also flinched. The difference was there was a blue radiance pooling from her clenched hand. She opened it and held it out to show that it was the lump of Manufacture Nethicte Larsa had given her.

"The Nethicite." Balthier leaned closer to observe the rock's brilliance.

Ashe's attention quickly flitted from the device that had saved us all to Ghis once more. She dashed forward and stopped a short distance from him, showing she hadn't been intimidated by his little magick trick.

"You're Majesty does not disappoint." He said amused by her pluck. I could easily imagine the smirk his mouth was twisted into. "Ever quick to spurn an honourable surrender, as was your father."

"You know nothing of my father!" Spat Ashe as she drew her sword and dashed fearlessly towards her oppressor.

The rest of us fell into our positions, with me once more in the backline alongside the two sky-pirates.

"Leave Ghis, attack the lesser Judges." Balthier instructed me.

I obeyed and set about flinging countless blizzard spells upon them. Any that managed to get too close to us I swiped at with my spear. I soon became tired, summoning the Mist was becoming harder with each spell I cast and before long I had run out of stamina.

"I-I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't seem to cast any more magicks." I said feeling panic rise in me once more.

"The Mist has robbed you of magickal energy. We have not the potion to replenish it." Fran said as she aimed another arrow.

"T-then what should I do?"

"Then make yourself useful! That lass has befallen an injury." Balthier snipped.

I glance over at Penelo to see she was stooped, clutching her arm. A slick layer of blood coated the skin of her forearm and droplets raining from her fingertips were leisurely splashing on the floor. The colour was so red it looked unreal, as if it was merely ink staining the floor and her arm.

"Penelo!"

I hurried over to her, dodging swords, arrows and bullets as I went. I crouched down in front of her before digging around in the medic bag for a potion. "Penelo, here take this."

"Ugh, I c-can't lift my arm!"

Her uninjured hand was tightly clutching the wound as if trying to steam the blood flow. Her eyes were scrunched tight, her face a mask of pain. I uncorked the bottle and held it to her lips.

"Come on, you can do it, all you have to do is drink." She complied and quickly guzzled the potion. It took a few seconds to set to work but soon she opened her eyes. "Let me see." I moved the hand clutching her arm. It revealed that the wound had closed but the new skin was still pink. From the crash-course I had learnt about curing with potions was the wound had to look like it had never occurred for that person to be fully cured. "Take another." I pulled another bottle from the bag and handed it to her. Once she had swallowed its contents I inspected the wound. Nothing was there; her skin was back to its normal texture.

"Those Judges are too fast, they got the better of me." She said, rising to her feet.

She offered me her hand. I grabbed it and dragged myself up. Her arm and the hand I held were still sticky with her drying blood. What were we doing here? Me and a young girl stood side by side, our hands clasped, in the middle of a battle that wasn't even our fight. One thing was for certain, I wasn't letting Penelo get hurt again. She wasn't leaving my side until this whole ordeal was done with.

"I'll guard your back, you guard mine." I suggested, dropping her hand and drawing my spear.

"Guess I have my work cut out for me then." She smiled impishly.

"Hey!" I bleated.

I didn't have time for a snappy comeback as a Judge who had been held at bay by Balthier and Fran's ammunition managed to break through. He charged towards us. I still had no idea how to properly use my spear but that didn't mean I was going to let this guy win.

Here we go.

Penelo and I met him head on. She swooped down low and used her dagger to slash at the chink in his armour, a small gap where the knee guard met his leg armour. Her blade came across his flesh and he groaned in pain. I swung my spear and struck at his chest. We quickly parted from him.

"I'll move behind him. He can't fight the two of us if we attack from different directions. If we knock him to the floor, he'll have a struggle getting to his feet again, that armour of his is heavy." Penelo whispered quickly. I grunted in agreement.

We charged at him again. He didn't hesitate to meet us. Penelo moved as if she was going to repeat her previous attack method, but instead she swooped down and swirled away in a graceful manoeuvre. This placed her behind him. The Judge swung his head round, trying to locate her. With him momentarily distracted this gave me the opportunity to bring the end of my spear up to meet his chin. The spear smashed into the jaw of his helmet with enough force to make his teeth chatter. He attempted to counter my attack by whirling his sword at me. I thrust my spear forward to ward off its blade.

With the Judge and myself in deadlock, Penelo quickly seized him from behind and attempted to use a judo throw. I pushed toward him with all the strength I could muster. His blade was biting into the spear's bamboo, making it splinter. Despite our force he still couldn't be thrown to the ground. Penelo quickly released an arm she had seized in her hold. She grabbed her dagger and once more scanned for a joint where two sheets of armour were connected. She soon located one, where the chest plate met the armoured sleeve. There was a shoulder plate guarding the top area but underneath the armpit the join was an easy target.

The Judge soon figured out what she was doing and tried to force his way out of the stalemate, harshly shoving against me. I attempted to stand my ground wondering how long my flimsy bamboo was going to last against his steel. Penelo quickly thrust the dagger into the chink until no blade could be seen. The Judge gasped. His strength was slowly ebbing away. We both withdrew again and watched him slump to the ground. Raspy breaths could be heard rattling around in his helmet. They were desperate snatches for air, as if he were drowning.

"I must have pierced his lung.. He won't rise anytime soon." Penelo said.

I stared at the solider before me. A punctured lung wasn't an injury that could be left unattended for long. His fellow Judges were also on the floor unmoving and Ghis was too busy fighting off the others to tend to his fallen comrade. We may have only been two girls but together we had managed to bring down an Imperial Judge. This man would be the first I had Hume I had ever killed... I turned away from him trying to reassure myself it had been him or us, his death was unavoidable.. right?

"Edie!" Penelo shook my arm.

"Hm?"

"Come on, we best help the others, Ghis still stands strong." With that Penelo was off like a flash. I darted after her.

As we ran to the other end of the hanger the atmosphere abruptly shifted. Penelo must have felt it too as she slowed to a halt. I stopped at her side. The air was crackling with unseen energy. It was like the muggy undercurrent that swirls around the air just before a storm unleashes its wrath.

Ashe was stood in front of Judge Ghis a clenched hand drawn to her chest, her head bowed slightly in concentration. It was a similar stance that you would use to cast magicks. Suddenly, her head snapped up and she threw her hand upwards at the sky. A pure white light began to gather over head. She brought her hand down as if instructing the energy to fall upon her enemy. The light broke away into several small spheres, like large fireflies. They fluttered over to Ghis and once in position rained down their power in cutting beams. These beams became larger, stronger, and the intensity of the energy's luminance was too strong for my eyes to stand. I brought a hand to my face to shield it. It was so powerful I could feel the castoff from the energy vibrate along every bone in my being. Just as quickly as the energy had been summon it disappeared in an almighty flash, leaving Judge Ghis trembling with effort to keep himself upright. He stumbled forward; his helmet fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"What kind of Magicks was that?" I said in awe.

"That was no spell. It was a Quickening!" Penelo answered.

Our attention was still fixated on the scene before us. Ghis was stooped over in exhaustion. His face fitted his aristocratic voice well. He was a fairly senior man, his grey hair and lined face telling tales of just how long he had served under the Empire's will. He brought a gloved hand to his forehead and grimaced. I glanced over at Ashe to see she stood strong. At that moment Vossler burst in.

"We have secured an Atomos. Come!"

The group quickly forgot about the Judge and we began to run after Vossler.

"An Atomos. All skiff, no ship. Hardly fitting for a leading man." I heard Balthier complain as I neared him.

"So I can fly it then?" Grinned Vaan.

"Are you mad?" Fran said, running past him.

I followed her and allowed a bubble of laughter to pop from my lips. She was right there was no way I would get in an airship that was being piloted by Vaan.

* * *

The Atomos was indeed pathetic in comparison to the Strahl. It was simply used to cart people from one large airship to another, a minibus equivalent of an airship. We piled in. Balthier allowed Fran to take the controls and took a back seat. Fran flicked switches and pushed buttons until the little aircraft whirled to life.

"Can't we go any faster?" Pestered Penelo. She was getting antsy at Fran's calm and methodical pace.

"Not yet." Replied the Viera.

The Atomos took off at a steady pace. Leaving the dock I glanced out at the sky before us. It was littered with airships of all sizes and styles. It looked like a swarm of bees. Three smaller ships drifted towards us and we all instinctively ducked. No doubt the alarm would be raised about our escape if it hadn't been raised already.

"They've past." Said Ashe.

"Any faster and they would have noticed." Fran told Penelo.

I sighed with relief once we were out of the swarm and into open, blue skies. Fran pushed the little airship to go faster and we were soon whizzing through the wispy clouds on our way back to Bhujerba.

The ride back wasn't a long one. The chatter had soon died down once everyone had taken their seats. I guess everybody was thinking through what had happened and, more importantly, what was going to happen next. As for us we would probably part ways with the Princess and her servants and hitch a ride back to Rabanastre with the sky-pirates, after all they did own us one. It was thanks to Balthier that Penelo was brought to Bhujerba in the first place.

I glance at Penelo who was sat at my side. Vaan was up ahead watching Fran's every move with widened eyes. His obsession with airships wasn't annoying just me anymore. Penelo turned to Vossler who was sat across the aisle.

"Erm.. What of Larsa? He won't be held responsible for our escape, will he?"

"Once we had secured the Atomos, I instructed him to return back to his quarters. We passed no guards on our travels therefore none shall suspect him of aiding us. Worry not."

"Okay." She said with a nod.

* * *

We docked at Bhujerba's Aerodrome and Balthier signed in the Atomos under a pseudonym so that if any of the Imperial guards tried to track down who had checked-in one of their ships here, they would be misled. I listened to him give his alias to the check-in clerk and tried not to scoff at his cheek. I mean really, who was going to believe such a stupid name, _Ffamran mied Bunansa_. To my shock the clerk merely smiled and logged the name. As he strode away from the desk to join Fran, Penelo perked up.

"Oh! I almost forgot."

She fished something out of her pocket. A white handkerchief. She paced over to him. I remained where I stood, Vaan at my side. "Balthier, your handkerchief. I thought you might want it back." She said, offering him the white material. It was neatly folded into a triangle. He gladly retrieved it from her hands.

"I shall wear it close to my heart." He said, placing a hand to his chest and bowing.

Penelo grinned, the apples of her cheeks taking on a rosy tint. I rolled my eyes. Vaan's stare became a little darker. I turned to glance back at the other three who loitered behind us, they were deep in discussion.

"Perhaps you forget all the Ondore has wrought." I overheard Ashe say.

"I did not forget, Majesty." Basch insisted. "It was by his counsel, dangerous though it may have been, that we were able to free you. You must meet with him, Your Highness, and give ear to his words. He may act in league with the Empire, but his heart is not."

"It is as he says." Agreed Vossler. "I ought not have kept Ondore at so great a distance for so long a time. I have played the fool!"

"You were only being cautious." She reassured.

"I would ask you for some time. On our own, we struggle in vain to restore Dalmasca. I must search out some other way. Until I should find it, I would have Basch remain at your side."

This did make me shift my half-hearted eavesdropping into fully observing their discussion. I turned and tried to keep a nonchalant look about my face. Was she really going to agree to that after she clearly wanted him dead but a few short hours ago? Vaan quirked an eyebrow and also turned around. "Doubt him you may, but I measure his loyalty to Dalmasca no less than my own."

"I know you would not speak so lightly. Very well." Was all she said.

I guess she really was desperate to get Dalmasca back on track if she was going to place her trust in a man that she still believed is to blame for her father's death.

"Keep her well." He said to Basch. "Go to Ondore, and there await my return." With that he strolled away.

"Guess we better make a move too." I sighed.

"Huh?" Vaan looked at me.

"Well there's not much point us sticking around here. Penelo's safe now, we should go back."

"What? Wait!"

I ignored him and marched over to Balthier.

"Take us back to Rabanastre."

"Excuse me?" He said in an amused tone. His hands placed on his hips.

"You heard. Seems as this whole fiasco was your fault to begin with you can take us back to Rabanastre and we'll call it even."

"Hm, I don't recall ever being in your debt. In fact, 'twas the boy you blamed for Penelo's predicament, do you not recall?"

"You're both to blame." I folded my arms over me chest.

"I find it somewhat preposterous that I'd be indebted to the likes of you, though fortunately this leading man is liberal to say the least."

"Great. Let's get going."

"Hasty aren't we? What I meant was by all means I will return you to your dreary existence after we have accompanied Her Highness to the Marquis' estate."

"What?"

"Seems as we rescued her, I would say that would make the Marquis indebted to me and I do not wish to pass up such a novelty."

He strolled away to join Ashe and Basch. I dropped my hands to my sides and clenched them into fists. God he was annoying.

"Come on, Edie. We might as well allow him to indulge in such a strange situation. Whatever keeps him happy so that he'll fly us back home." Penelo said.

"Yeah, you're right." I sighed. We moved on.

* * *

Once more at the estate, we were quickly ushered up to the Marquis' study. There, I listened with a detached interest to the conversation. The whole story of how Basch had been cruelly set up by the Empire was once more told for Ashe's benefit. Once she was up to speed, Ondore tented his fingers and questioned,

"Would it be right in saying that you now place your trust within this man, Ashelia?" There was a long pause.

"Yes. I believe he speaks the truth.."

She was lying. She knew that keeping Basch at her side would aid her in her fight. After all, he would be a useful pawn and he had a good sword arm. It was more necessity than trust.

Annoyed, I placed my attention on the sky which was growing as dark as my mood. I pondered how many months Tomaj would be docking my wages due to my little escapade. Knowing that grouch he'd probably dock Penelo's pay as well. I sighed and refocused my interest to their discussion.

"When Vossler learned my father had been killed the night of the treaty-signing, he returned to Rabanastre to aid my escape. There was still time before Vayne's reach extended too far. We thought you could protect me." Ashe said. She had moved closer to where the Marquis was sat.

"However, when I then made the announcement that you had taken your own life I must have seemed a model citizen of the Empire." He paused to cast a glance at her. She slowly nodded. "The announcement, you see, was Vayne's suggestion. Of course at the time I was reluctant, but I could not perceive his reasons. Now it is clear: He meant to drive a wedge between us."

"Halim, we are past all this. Bhujerba must stand with us. We can stop Vayne." Ashe insisted.

Ondore merely sighed and rose from his desk.

"I once knew a girl whose only wish was to be held in her uncle's arms... Your Majesty is a woman grown now."

"Then Bhujerba will aid me." She pressed on.

"Suppose for a moment you were to defeat Vayne... what then?" He queried as he began to pace about. "You cannot simply rebuild your kingdom with the only proof of your birthright stolen. Without that, the Gran Kiltias on Bur-Omisace cannot and will not recognize Your Majesty as the rightful heir. You may yet be a Princess, but without proof of your identity, you are powerless." He stopped pacing and turned to face her once more. "You will remain with me. We do nothing until the time is right."

"I cannot just wait!" She gasped.

"Then what does Your Majesty propose we do?"

Hurt by his sharp tone she could only mutter,

"Uncle Halim..."

It was hard to watch her being refused help. Although I hadn't known Ashe long, her unwavering want to rescue her kingdom from the clutches of the Empire was admirable of respect. With her currently stripped of her cause, she was just a teenager who had suffered too much loss so early on in her life.

"Incidentally, what is the going rate for rescuing princesses these days?" Balthier coolly questioned.

Ashe was too downtrodden to even react to his words. She turned and trudge out of the study. I shook my head. That Balthier sure knows who to pick his moments. "Food would be a start- the good stuff, mind you."

"This can be arranged, though it will take some time." Ondore agreed.

"Time enough for a bath, I hope. Dirty business you know. Ah, best bring a change of clothes too."

"Of course."

I found it hard to believe that this pirate could just swan into an estate as fine as this and start making lavish demands. It was all too surreal. Then again it would seem the norm had been uprooted and turned on its head thanks to this messy war. The Marquis turned to one of his drones. "Servant, please go and inform the cook to prepare a banquet for our guests. Also summon the housekeeper so that she msy show them all to their quarters." The servant nodded and scuttled away. "Please go forth and make yourself comfortable. I am most grateful that you freed Ashelia from the Empire. Such valour does indeed merit gratitude."

"And that is thanks enough." Basch returned, bowing to him.

"For you maybe. Some of us will gladly take thanks we can take pleasure in." Balthier said as he sauntered out of the room.

I shook my head again.

* * *

The housekeeper showed us to our rooms. Due to our stay being at such short notice we had to share rooms. We arranged it so that Penelo and I would share a room, Basch would share with Vaan and the sky-pirates had a room together. As for Ashe it was probably best she was left alone to mull over her situation.

"Wow! Will you look at the size of this room!" Penelo gasped. She fluttered in and spun around, her mouth agape with admiration. "It's beautiful!"

"It's bigger than our apartment." I muttered.

"The en suite bathroom is through that door there. The Marquis tells me that you are in need of your clothes washing so please change into the bath robes hung in the wardrobe and a maid will call by to collect them shortly."

She left, closing the door behind her. Penelo flopped on the huge bed and sighed in content. I glanced around the bedroom. It was impressive. The décor was of great taste, and very similar to the sumptuous style you would find in a country manor or a stately home.

I opened the door to the bathroom. The phrase 'en suite' always conjured up images of a pokey bathroom with only a shower, toilet and sink. This one, however, broke away from that tradition. Slap bang in the middle of the large bathroom was a huge, antique style bath. It was the kind that had golden feet, a deep basin and a large decorative faucet. Right now it looked like the best bath in all of Ivalice.

"Penelo! Come look at this!" I shouted, leaning over the tub to reach the taps. I turned the hot water on and placed the plug. She trotted in and paused.

"Gods! That's the biggest bath I've ever seen!" She squealed. "I call first bath!"

"Hey!... ugh, fine."

I went to the oak wardrobe and plucked a bath robe from its innards. I marched over to the bathroom to give it to Penelo. She was adding bath salts and all other manner of potions to the water. "Here." I handed her the bath robe. "Give me your clothes after you've changed and don't fall asleep in that bath, okay?"

"Okay!" She grinned. It was the infectious type and I soon found myself smirking.

I left her to change and entered the bedroom. I decided it would probably be best if I donned a bathrobe now also as I doubt the maid coming to collect our rags was going to be long. Just as I was pinning my hair up a rapping at the door startled me. It was the maid. I thanked her and handed her our clothes.

Alone once more, I sank down on to the bed and pulled the medic bag from the pile of our accessories heaped on the corner of the sheets. I hadn't bothered returning it to Fran seems as we were all heading to the same place. I had stuffed the books I had bought in Bhujerba to the bottom, along with that weird notebook of Fran's. I carefully removed the stack of books and set about looking at them. I was tempted to find out what the Viera's notebook contained but the knot the twine had been sealed with looked complicated and I doubt I would be able to recreate it when sealing the book again. Fran would know I had been prying.

Instead, I picked up The Orgian-Cent and flicked to the index. They were mainly named after places in Ivalice that the author had travelled to. I skipped to Chapter XIV, The Sky City of Bhujerba. It retold the tail that the wall hangings had depicted.

'_Ethral, the son of Dios was cast from the heavens for committing a foul crime. He had shamelessly proclaimed his love for a Hume woman and as his punishment he was made to abandon paradise and live in the world below. And so the young god breathed a simple life amongst the Humes yet his mother, Arthelia, missed him so. She begged Dios to excuse Ethral and allow him to return. Though Dios would never pardon such a crime, he graciously made an offering to his dear wife. He lifted the earth where Erthal and his bride dwelled and brought it closer to the heavens so that Arthelia could visit her treasured son. These floating islands were soon christened, Bhujerba, a word in the Sanskirt religion meaning unity. _

_Though this legend is a common one, the more uncommon truth is that it was in fact the Moogles who discovered the islands of Bhujerba. They were the first pioneers of __airship__ travel and Bhujerba became an airship docking port and expeditions discovered more magicite mines, increasing floating island's revenue. During the age of the __Galtean Alliance__, House Ondore took over the administration and initiated a system to control the magicite mining activities; by closing exhausted mines to let the magicite recover and opening new mines elsewhere. This guarantees continuous production of magicite. It is rumored that should the magicite supply be exhausted, Bhujerba and the rest of the Sky Continent would descend to the surface. These rumors are yet to be proven true._'

"Hey, whatcha reading?" I whipped my head up to see Penelo stood over me. Her wet hair was wrapped in a pristinely white towel and her face was flushed a healthy pink due to the heat of the water she had been bathing in. The bathrobe way far too big for her and swamped her petite frame. I had been so absorbed in the book's words I hadn't even heard her enter the room.

"It's a copy of the Orgain-Cent, I was reading some information it has on Bhujerba."

"You found a copy?"

"Mm-hm, in Bhujerba's town." I nodded closing the book and getting off the bed. "I've only just started reading it though so I still can't see why the Elder Brunoa recommended it..." I stretched, feeling the dull click of some of my joints and bones cracking. "Well, I'm going to go and have a nice long bath!"

* * *

Once we were clean and dressed in our freshly pressed clothes, we made our way down to the dining hall. As expected it was a huge space with an eye-catching roof with decorative stone eaves like in a gothic church. Large stain glass windows lined the walls. The moonlight filtered through their panes and delicately cast soft shades across the tiled floor. The next thing that assaulted my senses was the smell of the food.

"I've never seen so much food!" Penelo gasped.

The servants ushered us to our seats. Sat across from us was Balthier and Fran. Vaan sat beside Balthier and took it upon himself to take a helping of a large slice of roast meat.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" I asked.

Balthier, who was pouring both himself and Vaan wine paused and said,

"It would seem it's only us commoners dining this evening. The Captain and the Marquis are discussing tactics for the best way forth and Her Highness is too inconsolable at the moment to grace us with her presence."

Admittedly, I did feel guilty that we were about to indulge in the Marquis' hospitably while the others were racking their minds for an answer to Dalmasca's problems. Still, I couldn't recall the last time I had eaten and the churn of my stomach seemed too strong to fight against. I picked up my cutlery and began to help myself to the vast array of food that was laid out before me. There were cured meats, roast meats, cooked vegetables, salads, breads of all shapes and sizes, a cheese board and even an iced cake for dessert. There was a seemingly never-ending flow of wine (or water in Fran's case- apparently, the Viera didn't drink.) and our spirits were high. We all sat at the table long after we had eaten and chatted. With enough wine in me, Balthier was becoming more and more tolerable, with each glass I sank down. He was answering Vaan's questions about the Strahl when a servant entered the hall.

"Would our guests care to retire to their quarters, after all, the hours of darkness are upon us."

We agreed and were once more led back through the estate to our rooms. I was glad the servants were happy to guide us through the labyrinth of corridoors as I would have easily become lost.

Penelo and I said our goodnights to the others and entered our room. I flopped on the bed. My stomach was so full it felt like I had swallowed a boulder.

"I shouldn't have eaten so much." I sighed patting my belly.

"Don't worry a few more glasses of this stuff and you'll sleep well." Penelo smiled pulling a bottle of wine from behind her back.

"You swiped some wine?"

I propped myself up on my elbows to look at her. My eyebrows arched in shock, perhaps Vaan's take-what-you-can values were rubbing off on her. She laughed at my expression, a little musical note that sounded like a bell chiming.

"Of course not! Vaan did, I just confiscated it from him."

I thought back to when we were saying goodnight to the others. Vaan had been rubbing his head. I smirked, Penelo had probably taken it off him and clobbered him one for punishment.

"Well it's too early to sleep and besides you still need to tell me just how it was you and Vaan banded with the likes of sky-pirates and dead captains and queens. You can't tell stories without wine." She said as she neared the bed.

I held out my hand for the bottle and she handed it over to me. It was the same stuff we had been drinking with dinner. It was a good wine, rich and heady.

"It's uncorked. Where's the bottle opener?"

"Bottle opener?"

"And the glasses? Didn't he pinch any? This stuff isn't like Barose wine, you can't just swig it from the bottle."

"Huh! Who knew you were such a wine connoisseur, Edie." She scoffed. "It's Vaan we're talking about, he didn't think to swipe that stuff. Best you go get them."

"Me?"

"I'm not resorting to further thievery and besides I would happily open it with my dagger and drink it from the bottle."

"Fine. I'll see what I can do." I handed her the bottle once more and quickly left the room.

I walked at a hasty pace trying to remember the way back to the dining hall. I had to be careful of the servants and night porters who wondered the corridors as they would quickly recognise me and escort me back to my room. After a few wrong turns and pauses to duck into archways, I came across the familiar oak doors of the dining hall. I hesitated and put my ear to the door. There was no murmur of sounds that would suggest someone was occupying the room. I gingerly opened the door and slipped in. I had been right the hall was still and silent. The platters of food had been cleared but there were still three places set. They were probably for Basch, Ondore, and Ashe for as and when they decided to dine. I palmed two goblets and after much rummaging around in the silver wear cupboard, I finally found a bottle opener.

As I slunk towards the door, nearing footsteps and chatter from the other side of its wooden panes caused me to freeze. My mind spluttered a string of curses and my eyes jackrabbit around the room. There was a backdoor to the hall, were the servants enter. I dashed towards it and quickly, without regard for where the door led, slipped through. Not wanting to stick around to be discovered I quickly ran down corridors and passageways trying once more to find something to help me get my bearings.

I finally made it out of the servants' walkways and back into the main house of the estate yet I had entered it from a different route and was now completely lost. After some wondering around a slither of luck greeted me, I found I was in the foyer. I could probably find my way back from here. I rushed up the staircase and once more began trying to navigate myself around the corridors. _Seriously, this mansion should come with a map!_

I turned a corner and came to a halt. Halfway in the passageway's stretch stood Basch. He was stood in front of one of the large arched windows, his attention to the night sky. Even when he was off-duty he stood rigid with his back ramrod straight and shoulders back, the stance of a military man. He was too far away for me to see what expression was gracing his features.

I hesitated. He would probably punish me if he caught wind of what I was doing sneaking around at this hour. I strolled towards him, and shuffled around the goblets and the bottle opener so they were all tightly clutched in one hand that I casually held behind my back.

"Hi." I greeted as I neared him.

He slowly turned his head to glance at me. He looked as if I had disturbed him from being locked deep within his thoughts.

"Good Evening."

He was always formal like that. I half wondered what he had been like before he had been moulded into a man of duty. I lingered at his side. I knew I should have kept it simple and walked on but something kept my feet rooted to the ground.

"Erm.. How did the brainstorming go?"

"Well enough."

I knew he wouldn't discuss such a subject in-depth with the likes of civilian but still I had felt obliged to ask. He returned his attention to the landscape outside. I should have taken this pause in our conversation to skip along and go down goblets of wine with Penelo, yet still I remained where I stood.

"She doesn't believe you, you know?" I blurted.

In that moment I wanted to use one of those blasted goblets to whack myself around my head. He raised his eyebrows, that nasty scar that marred him creased as the lines of his forehead furrowed. "I-I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to say it like that." I apologised.

It was obvious that he hadn't believed Ashe when she had told Ondore otherwise, I don't think any of us had. I had a suspicion that was why he was stood staring at the sky as the night slowly crept by. "What I meant was she will trust you again one day. It just takes time I suppose, especially when you've been through what she has."

"I can only pray that that is the way of it." He sighed.

"It will happen."

He turned to me fully, his expression unreadable. In the short time I had known him I always found it difficult to find out what he was thinking. I guess I was used to open books like Vaan and Penelo.

"It is clear why I am wakeful at such an hour, yet what of you?" He asked.

_Crap!_ I hadn't expected him to ask that. I was sure he had asked me this just to deflect from the previous prickly subject.

"Erm... Well.." I racked my mind for a plausible excuse. I didn't like being put on the spot like this, forming schemes and fibs were best left to Vaan. It wasn't helping that his stare was unweavering. I could feel a blush begin to heat my cheeks and yet I had no idea why it would suddenly grace my face.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the goblets held behind your back, would it?" My eyes widened. How the hell did he know? His face was still set in that unreadable mask, making me unsure how to go about answering him. I couldn't believe I had been busted. "A blind eye is easier to turn if a promise is made never to repeat such misconduct."

"O-okay. I won't do it again." I dumbly nodded. I felt like a five-year-old.

"Then run along."

"Thanks... Good night, Basch."

"Sleep well."

I sped away before he had a change of heart. I soon came across my room. I ducked in to find Penelo stretched across the bed reading the Sainikah Manual.

"Finally, I thought you'd been caught!" She said casting the book aside.

"Yeah, I almost was."

I opened the bottle and poured a good glug of wine in each goblet. We sat on the spongy bed covers goblets in hands.

"Go on then, tell me how was it you met the others." She urged, her eyes wide.

"Okay." I sighed. "It all started when I left you and went to cover your shift at Migelo's..."

**. . .**

"...And that's when Larsa and I bumped into the rest of you." Penelo concluded.

We had both had had quite a journey from the streets of the Low Town to Bhujerba. It was almost a shame that by tomorrow we'd be back to our humble beginnings.


	19. Chapter XIX

Author's Notes

Whoops I've taken my time to update haven't I? I do have some lame excuses as to why...

The first reason is I finally got a copy of FFXIII and have been addicted (the same thing has happened with previous Final Fantasy titles). So much so that in the first three days of playing it I was on disc three, although now I'm taking my time maxing out weapons, crystariums and doing missions... okay enough of that!

The second reason is I've been doing a lot of much needed planning on some original fiction that I desperately needed to get out of my head as it's getting to the point where it's distracting me when I'm writing this fanfiction. Typically, whilst developing one story, three more pop in my head and I've been doing some tinkering with those ideas as well so hopefully I might start posting stories on Fictionpress under the same pen name.

So apologies that it took so long for me to update. As always many thanks for you're reviews and support!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XIX: She Sun**

Penelo drifted over to the large French doors that opened to a small balcony. She opened them and stepped outside. The room was soon scented with the smell of the night air. I went to join her. My movements were sloppy and sluggish thanks to the wine.

"None will believe us when we tell them all that has happened." She sighed and placed her elbows on the balcony's decorative wrought iron railing. She then rested her chin in her hands.

"Probably, but I bet it will still be passed around the Low Town." I said.

My eyes wandered over the bloom of stars over head. Due to the island being a like buoy that floated in the sky, the stars were so much closer. Their mesmerising glimmer was far brighter than any night sky I could recall. Along with the moonlight, their luminance bathed the estate's courtyard bellow. Suddenly, the distant clatter of footsteps against cobbles ripped through the din. I lowered my eyes to the courtyard. A lone figure was hastily making its way from the estate and back into Bhujerba's streets. Even from a distance that pink skirt was blatantly obvious.

"Hey that's Princess Ashe!" I gasped, pointing.

"So it is. Where does she think she's heading to at this hour?" Penelo yawned and straightened up.

"You saw how upset she was earlier, Penelo. She's probably making a break for it. We should tell somebody." I turned and entered our room, making for the door.

"What? But won't that get her into trouble?" Penelo drifted in behind me. I paused and turned.

"Who cares? We'll be in trouble if we don't tell anyone and they're searching for her high and low in the morning! I'm going to go find Basch." I tugged on my boots.

"But surely this will only sour things with the Marquis."

"Probably, but that's her problem."

"How can you say that? Sure, Ashe's temper is ghastly but she's only trying to do best by Dalmasca. Let's go after her, maybe we can convince her otherwise."

"Like she's gonna to listen to us."

"Well she's hardly going to listen to the likes of Basch." I grabbed the door handle and threw open the door.

"Okay, you go stall her. I'll find Basch." I marched out of our room and ran back round to where I had previously bumped into him, hoping he'd still be there. Instead, I found the whole of our group stood congregating in the corridor. They were all suited up in their armour and weapons. "Princess Ashe has-"

"Escaped. Yes, yes we're well aware of it." Balthier interrupted. "We were just about to summon you. Go gather your things. Our Princess has fled and the first thing she'll seek is air travel. I'll gladly wager that she's going to use my dear Strahl as her means of escape."

Penelo slowed to a stop at my side.

"You told them?"

"Vaan did. He spied her sneaking out, her things gathered and taken with her." Basch informed.

"I'll go get our things." I turned on my heel and returned to my room.

* * *

We arrived at the Aerodrome. It was jarringly still at night due to there being very few night flights. Our footsteps echoed loudly as we made our way from the familiar check-in station to the hanger where the Strahl was docked. I was tired and didn't really want to be scuttling about in the dead of night carrying all the gear I had been loaded up with. Surely it didn't need all of us to convince Ashe that what she was doing was a bad idea.

"Vaan must be reasoning with her. I dare say he'll succeed much." Balthier said as we stood in front of his prized possession.

"Well you're the fully fledged sky-pirate, Balthier, wouldn't it be easier if you went and dazzled her with that charm of yours?" I scoffed, crossing my arms.

"Making Princesses swoon is akin to shooting fish in a barrel, there's no challenge, no complexity in it for someone like myself." He stated smugly.

"Have you quite finished?" Basch asked, his tone glazed with annoyance.

We waited a few moments longer before Balthier became bored and we boarded the Strahl. As I neared the brig I could hear the voices of Vaan and Ashe conversing. Balthier strolled on ahead, whereas Penelo and I were at the back of the line.

"I'll fight alone if I must." I overheard Ashe sigh.

"You still have Basch, right? Besides you can't just go around stealing people's ships. What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to concentrate!" She snapped.

"That's quite enough, Your Majesty." Said a familiar voice. It was Ondore's though there was a strange ring to it. Curious, I quickened my pace. "What do you think? A bit over the top?" Questioned that same tinny voice. "In my line of work, you never know when something like this might come in handy." It was Balthier. He had somehow managed to mimic the Marquis' tone. "I'm trying to concentrate." Said another voice that sounded very much like Ashe's although it too has a metallic ring to it. As I neared I saw it was a small, hand held device that looked somewhat similar to a dictaphone. Balthier put down the device and stepped towards Ashe and Vaan in the cockpit. "I'm leaving you with the Marquis."

"You can't!"

"Trust me, you're better off staying here." He turned and began to walk away.

"Suppose you kidnapped me instead?" Her proposal caused him to pause. "You're a sky-pirate aren't you? Then steal me. Is that so much to ask?"

"What do you have that I would want?"

"The Dynast-King's treasure. The Dawn Shard is but one of the riches that lie waiting in King Raithwall's tomb."

This merited a low whistle being blown from his lips in astonishment.

"King Raithwall you say?" He turned to face the two youths again. It was obvious now that he was as good as sold.

"Kidnapping royalty is a serious offense." Said Basch as he entered the cockpit. "It won't do much to lower the bounty on your head."

"How much is the price on your head these days, I wonder?" The sky-pirate retorted as the other man passed him by. Basch stopped a few steps short of Ashe.

"Allow me to escort you in Vossler's place." She nodded in approval.

Penelo and I loitered in the hallway. Fran paced up to us and asked,

"Will you be joining us?" Her question was aimed at us three street urchins.

"What are you kidding? I don't wanna stick around this place!" Vaan said from his seat in the front row.

"Then I'm coming too!" Penelo dashed forward and sunk down to the seat behind him.

"Penelo!"

"Don't leave me here." She begged.

"Of course." He promised in a tone I didn't hear him use often. It was solemn and honest.

I entered the room and stopped by her side, causing Vaan's attention to flicker from his friend to me. My mind had made the uncomfortable conversion from happily tipsy to stone cold sober in a matter of seconds. The consciousness that we weren't going back to the norm or Rabanastre sunk down my suddenly straightened spine. I had no choice. I wasn't going to leave Penelo or Vaan now.

"You too?" Vaan asked peering up at me.

"If she's going, I'm going." I shrugged.

"Then it's settled." Fran said as she lingered in the doorway, "We should leave before the Marquis realizes she's missing, like proper kidnappers."

"Right you are." Balthier agreed, taking his seat in front of the ship's controls. The rest of the group quickly found their seats and once more the two pilots began to fire up the Strahl. As the engines roared with vigour, I felt a hand upon mine. Penelo, who was sat at my side, smiled and softly said,

"Thank you."

"Hm? For what?"

"For coming along."

"Yeah, well you owe me one, 'cause I'm not keen on travelling by airship much." I said shutting my eyes tight as the engine's hum amplified into a high-pitched screech.

Once take-off had been cleared and the Strahl settled amongst the sky, we were able to retired to the cabins to sleep. The cabins were like the one's you'd find on a cruise liner if you hadn't forked out enough money. Instead of two single beds arranged side-by-side there were bunk-beds. I groaned. We left the Marquis' cushy guestroom for this?

"I want top bunk!" Giggled Penelo. She clambered up the small set of ladders and flopped on her claimed bed. I shed myself of all the bags and bits I had been lumbered with. After storing them neatly in a wardrobe, I sunk into to my bed. I was far too exhausted to be bothered by the audible whirl of the Strahl's engine and after saying goodnight I soon drifted into sleep.

A dream descends on me just as I'm slipping to the dark drink of sleep.

_That sound. It was horribly familiar. It's the rasp of desperate snatches of air. I near it and low and behold the injured low-rank Judge is smeared over the tiled floor of the Leviathan. I pause. A frightened whimper falls from my lips. I'm rooted to the spot, forced to watch and wait for him to drown in his own blood. He's like a fish that's been dragged from water, squirming and gasping. I can't stand it any longer. _

"_I-I'm sorry." I shuffled towards him. "I'm so sorry." I crouch and tug off his helmet, hoping maybe it would improve his ragged breathes. As it comes away from his head his identity is revealed and the sight of it knocks all the air from my lungs, like I had been dealt a blow to my stomach. Lying blooded, beaten and teetering on the edge of existing was Jorge. "No! No, no, no!" I gasped when I finally remembered how to breathe again._

"_No..m-mi puedo.. respire.(I c-can't... __breath.)" He managed to choke out between breaths. My heart seized as a fresh fist of fear attacked it._

"_No. Hold on!" I cried, my mind too shaken to even attempt to speak Spanish. "Hold on, I'll help you."_

"_No hay... tiempo (There's no...time.)"_

"_I can cure you. I-I have a potion." I said madly rummaging around in the medic's bag._

"_No.. esto no tienes efecto(No…It won't work)"_

"_What? Why?"_

"_Porque…" He paused to try and to suck in another breath "P-porque no... soy de... tu mundo, Edie.(B-Because I'm... not of...your world, Edie)"_

"_What?" It came out in a pathetic mewing sound. I looked at him through a film of tears. His shaggy brown hair wet with blood, his normally olive toned skin was a sickly ashen hue, he was going to die._

"_Cuidarse.(Take care.)"His gloved hand reached up to cup my cheek. _

I jolted awake with a yelp to be greeted by the darkness of the cabin. I sat and willed my heart to stop drumming in my ears. My breath came out in a shaky and erratic rhythm. I dragged a hand across my face and tried to push away the dream's images that are seared into my mind.

"Edie? Are you alright?" Penelo's worried tenor swam forth in the darkness.

"I- I'm fine." I managed to push some words out. "Just had a bad dream."

* * *

In the dim light of dawn I sat up, being careful not to bang my hazy head on the bunk above. There's a sour taste in my mouth from the wine I had drunk last night and my eyes take a while to focus. It wasn't exactly a hangover just my body reminding me I had gulped down a glass too many perhaps. I climbed out and dressed. Penelo was still asleep, her soft and steady breathing told me so. Quietly as I could, I opened the door and exited our room.

The portholes along the corridor gave glimpses of the sun climbing its way back up into the sky. The vivid reds and pinks bled from the sky into tufts of cotton like clouds. I paused to admire it. As my attention was swallowed by the sky's colours and movement, a smell crept from further within the ship. It was the familiar scent of coffee being brewed. I followed my nose until I came to a compact kitchenette. Its modern appliances were all arranged in an order that both used the small space well and made for good use of ergonomics. Fran was stood at the stove preparing mugs.

"You rise early, though you're not the first. The Captain has been sleepless since before dawn break." She said as she turned to me. Without even asking me, she reached for another mug and added it to the row of three that were already on the counter.

"You've been awake all night?" I asked. If she had she didn't seem tired at all.

"No. Night piloting is taken in shifts. I finished mine many hours ago, I slept then." She poured a strong looking coffee into the mugs and set about adding milk and molasses to one of them. She then looked over her shoulder at me, her way of asking if I wanted the same.

"Erm, I'll just have mine how it is please." I never really liked coffee diluted with milk or altered by sugar. She handed me the two mugs.

"T'other one is for Balthier. I ask you to take it to him." With the mugs in hand I left her and wandered down the walkways to the cockpit.

Balthier was sat in his usual seat, his hands resting on the airship's steering wheel, which was much like one you'd find in an airplane's cockpit. His attention to the navigation and velocity dials was quickly placed on me. I handed him the sweetened coffee, ignored his smirk and civilly said,

"Good morning."

"Fran there was no need to awaken the waitress to bring me my drink. I would have gladly accepted it from your hands." He called over his shoulder. Instead of waiting for her reply I cut in with a snarl.

"She didn't. I was just passing by and she asked me to."

"And I am most thankful." He said, though his it was hard to accept such thanks when it was laced with sarcasm.

He sipped his coffee and returned his gaze back to the control panel. I slumped down in a seat and drank my coffee. It was wonderfully strong, just what I needed to shake off the ghost of a last night's wine and the horrors of last night's dream.

The others soon stirred and came to the cockpit. Vaan rubbed at his sleep heavy eyes and yawned.

"How much further?"

"We've cleared the Dorstonis and make way towards Rabanastre. We should be there in but a few hours. Time enough for you to liven up." Balthier informed.

"We're going back to Rabanastre?" I asked.

"No, we make way towards her." Was his answer. I slumped further into my seat.

* * *

I stood in the fine sand of the Westersand's desert, my hand shielding my eyes from the merciless sun as I squinted up at the Strahl, which continued to hover silently in the sky. It promptly vanished, camouflaging into an unblemished sky. The impressive illusion prompted gasps of awe from Vaan and Penelo. I had to admit it was pretty impressive that at a touch of a button the large airship had seemingly disappeared.

"This 'come in handy' often?" I heard Ashe question Balthier behind me.

"It's tough being this popular." He replied in that usual blasé tone of his. "We wouldn't want admirers dropping in while we're away. Well now, that's as far as she goes. We'll be in jagd from here onwards."

"What's that mean?" Penelo mused aloud.

"Beats me." I sighed. I was beginning to grow tired of knowing nothing about Ivalice or what was going on. Ever since I had fallen through that door I had hit the ground running.

"It means we can't fly the Strahl. Sky stones are sensitive to changes to magnetic and magicite pulses in the air, so when you're in jagd skystones don't work at all. That's why we gotta hoof it the rest of the way, ya see?" Vaan explained.

"Happy you get to teach me something for a change?"

"Well, if you want to be a sky pirate, you have to know your- Hey! What do you mean, 'for a change'?"

I shook my head. His reaction to her sarcastic question was so delayed it could have been the start of another conversation.

"Come on, accept it, I'm smarter than you!" She said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh yeah, says who? You wanna ask them?" Vaan jutted his chin to the rest of our group.

"I wouldn't be so confident." She said in a sing-song voice. Penelo was always far better than me at winding Vaan up. She did it in a manner that poked fun at him without being too malicious. She glanced over to me her prompt for me to join in, in the teasing. "Wouldn't you say so, Edie?"

"Most defiantly. Vaan can't even comprehend the basics, like working to earn money equals good, stealing stuff for profit or just plain stealing equals bad." I nodded, trying to keep the smirk off my face, though it was proving a challenge.

"Tch! Like I care what you think. You can't even remember where you come from." Vaan grumbled. Penelo laughed at his defeat. It was then the three of us were well aware that the rest of the group were observing our conversation.

"If you're all quite finished, let us be off." Ashe said huffily and stalked off further into the desert.

Even though I had never previously set foot in the Westersand it was pretty much like all the other deserts and plains in the area, dry, dusty and incredibly hot. I trudged on behind Fran when she suddenly stopped, her ears pricked at some far-away noise.

"To the west, a travailing tradesman. It be wise to replenish our spent stocks." She announced to the group.

So we headed off in the direction of the trader and soon came across him and his chocobo in a small cove where he was taking shelter from the uprising winds.

"Care to browse my wears, sirs?" He said, quickly laying assorted items out onto a length of thick tarp. There was everything and anything you'd ever need if you found yourself in tight spot. Swords, guns, knives, daggers, helms, suits of armour, potions, remedies, the lot, all glinting in the harsh sunlight. "I sell magicks also. Care to take a gander at the supply list?" He questioned, holding out a piece of parchment. Fran took it from him and scanned the paper.

"This spell you shall acquire." She said to me showing me the parchment. It was a curative magick. She was right, if I was going to take on the role of medic I better stick to such types of magicks.

"Okay. We have enough gil for that, right?" She nodded and ordered the spell from the tradesman.

He quickly exchanged the spell's licence for gil. I paused. I didn't have my civilian passport! All of my legal documents were still in the clutches of those foul Imperial guards in Nalbina. Balthier had noticed my panicked expression and said,

"Worry not, most backstreet vendors such as this good man here care not for proof of citizenship. Just be sure to keep hold of the licences and I imagine you'll get by with little bother."

"Alright." I stuffed my newly acquired licences in the inner pocket of my bag.

We spent over an hour with the vender. Balthier proved to be well practiced in art of bartering and haggled with the man until he had reached a fair price for the horde of things we had purchased. The medic's bag was brimming full of all kinds of potions, some of which I had never heard of and Penelo had to go about explain what potion should be used for which ailment. Most of the group had upgraded or exchanged their weapons for stronger, sleeker models. Armour was also chopped and changed to suit each of us. I had even been given some gauntlets to protect my forearms in battle.

"Since you be normal folk I must warn yous. The windy season is upon the desert and with it come sandstorms that form in a blink of an eye. I bade you tread warily across these sands." The trader warned as he went about packing his stock away.

"Your caution has been taken in heed, we shall tread carefully." Said Basch with a slight nod of his head in thanks.

We finally said our fairwells to the trader and once more set off walking in the insufferable dry heat of the desert. There was a breeze that whirled strongly now and then to revile us of the warmth, although its increasing strength was putting Fran on edge. I could tell because her ears were seemingly always twitching as if she was constantly sifting through the noises of the wilderness for some hidden threat.

After trekking along the inhospitable terrain for what seemed like the best part of the day, Fran suddenly halted as if rooted to the spot.

"Fran?" I was surprised that my voice had shrivelled to a hoarse wheeze due to the sand attacking my throat. I paused at her side watching with building nerves as her head whipped round and she narrowed her eyes, scanning the horizon. Her delicate nose wrinkled at the intensifying breeze. She stood perfectly still, only the wispy white strands of her ponytail moving because of the winds. Despite the feathery sections that framed her face dancing before her eyes she made no motion to sweep them out of sight. This was defiantly cause for alarm. She was always shaking the hair out of her eyes. "What is it?"

"We seek shelter and swiftly a sandstorm rages to hither." She said without unlocking her eyes from the stretch of desert in the distance.

I had been right to worry. I dashed towards the rest of the group, who hadn't noticed our dawdling.

"Hurry! We've got to get out of here! Fran says a sandstorm is coming this way!"

Balthier whipped round to see his partner stood a short distance off, her nose still to the wind.

"Bugger. Fran's nose has never failed us before. Time to seek cover!"

We all quickly tore through the sand as rapidly as we could yet it proved hard work due to the winds and the weapons and stock that weighed us down. I hitched the medic bag up so it would stop colliding harshly against my leg with each quick stride I took. The wind whipped at our faces, scratching at our eyes and lashing at our cheeks. This was only the very beginning of the storm but already my face, arms and hands felt as if they had been stripped of skin.

"Over there! A cave!" Vaan's voice was almost inaudible against the roar of the wind's speed.

I squinted through raw eyes to see that there was indeed a cave not too far away. Although with the struggle against this never ending gust of blistering wind, it might as well have been on the other side of Ivalice.

"Give that to me!" I managed to make out Vaan's voice again.

He was at my side, his stance mimicking mine, his head bowed against the wind and an arm drawn up to protect his eyes. His weight was evenly distributed between his firmly planted feet. With his free hand he tugged at the medic bag to make his meaning clearer. I shrugged off the bag suddenly feeling as if I would be blown away now that its heavy weight wasn't anchoring me to the ground.

We push onwards, fighting against the airborne sand and just as the storm threatened to up heave us all from the sand, my outstretched hand found what it had been searching for. It groped solid, reliable, unmoveable rock. I had finally reached the cave's mouth. Penelo tugged me into the cave's safety and due to my limbs no longer being under the strain of the wind they crumbled and I collapsed to my hands and knees. I remained on the floor for several long moments too busy taking in deep breaths of the cool, moist air of our new surroundings.

I sat back on my haunches and dragged my eyes around the cave. Apart from the odd drip of water it was still. I felt my muscles slump in relief because knowing my luck I had half expected a pack of desert wolves to also be seeking refuge here.

"Well then, I guess we make camp here." I heard Balthier say.

"I can only hope that was a jest." Ashe said. I swivelled round to face the rest of the group. Penelo offered me her hand and I clambered to my feet. "We are only but halfway across the Westersands and now you wish to make camp?"

"Would you Majesty kindly offer us a superior solution?"

"This cave must have a route out. We should scour for an exit."

"A cavern we are in, not a cave." Informed Fran. Ashe whipped her head round to peer into the gloom that led into the bowels of the supposed cavern.

"And what makes you so positive?"

"The echo of our voices is short. We are in a cavern."

* * *

We set up camp further back into the deep cavern just in case the sandstorm rapidly shifted or increased in its potency. Sand was already coating the smooth rock of the cavern floor. The wail of the fierce wind would whirl and ricochet off the cavern's walls. Its noise put me on edge due to it sounding to similar to a pack of wolves howling. Gathered around the small camp fire we replenished our spent energy used to get away from the sandstorm by eating a small amount of our food stock and resting.

The skin on my arms burned form the onslaught of the sand it had witnessed earlier. I tried to ignore its sting and get some sleep though it seemed impossible. I sighed and dragged myself up from the blanket I had been sprawled on. The faint light provided by the dwindling fire softly illuminated the cavern walls and its occupants. Most of the group had managed to drift off into slumber.

I rose and carefully picked my way around the dozing bodies to the other side of the cavern where our bags and stock lay. I picked up a leather flask that was heavy with water and gulped down a few generous mouthfuls. The water cooled and calmed my scorched throat. I dread to think just how much sand I had inhaled earlier. My lungs felt as if they were made from paper.

A quiet sound at the back of the cavern caused me to quickly stop worrying about my battered body and replace my attention elsewhere. With my eyes not daring to the leave the gloom that enveloped the depths of the cavern I slowly bent and groped for my spear. A light appeared further down the cavern's corridor and I tightened my grip on my spear. Yet as the glow slowly neared our camp it quickly became clear it wasn't a threat. It was just Basch.

I sighed heavily in relief and lowered my weapon.

"Is something awry?" He questioned quietly as he approached.

"No. I was worried that there was something lurking in the back of the cavern." I said, quickly returning my spear back to the stock pile feeling foolish for being scared so easily.

"You needn't fret. There's naught a thing back there save for more rocks."

He rummaged through one of the bags and pulled out a large scroll. He gestured for me to take hold of the torch while he unravelled the scroll's length. I complied and with torch in hand watched as he laid the weathered parchment onto the cavern's floor. Its span was nearly as big as our blankets. On it stretched out the whole of Ivalice, every continent, country, lake and river captured in beautiful penmanship. "Bring forth the light." I stepped forward and crouched so I stooped at his side. Kneeling, Basch quickly withdrew a compass and other equipment to help gauge the map.

"So whereabouts are we?" I said softly as not to break his concentration.

He fiddled around with a device that looked like an angled ruler and another that looked like a small pair of pincers for a moment or two before answering my question.

"We are stationed here, in the western divide."

"And the tomb?"

"Over there, beyond the region of the Nam-Yensa Sandsea."

I peered to where his finger was pointing to. A small yet detailed drawing of a tomb sat in the middle of a different stretch of desert. I looked at the distance between the two points.

"You're kidding. That's so far away."

Now I understood why Ashe had been so disheartened by our being trapped here. We had hardly even scratched the surface of this journey.

"Which is why you should rest. On the morrow our efforts will have to be double in order to make time."

"I've tried but the sandstorm pretty much burnt most of the skin on my arms and face so I can't get comfortable to actually sleep."

Basch leaned closer, inspecting my face. I felt a bit unnerved under his scrutiny. It reminded me of how he had caught me out the other night at Ondore's palace.

"You're most right. Your skin is red raw. Is there not a salve in the medic kit for such an injury?"

"No, only potions." I didn't really want to waste a potion on glorified sunburn. Suddenly I recalled that I still had the cactus salve that I had used on my blisters. I quickly rose and went to retrieve it from my bag, using the torch to help me manoeuvre my way around the slumbering forms of the others. "Will this do?" I asked showing him the pot of salve on my return.

"I imagine so." He nodded. "Hand me the torch."

I passed over the torch and Basch quickly busied himself with plotting out our course for tomorrow's trek. I began to apply the balm to my face. Although it stung at first the tingle soon faded into a soothing sensation. I smoothed it over my neck and finally over my arms and along my shoulders. Even though I had been wearing my little waistcoat the sand had still managed to get underneath the layer of clothing and attack my exposed shoulder blades. I attempted to reach back to slather balm on them but the tight and inflamed skin on my arms stung in protest. I looked over at Penelo. If she had been awake I would have asked her for help but waking her now seemed unfair. I tried again only to be rewarded with the same sharp jolt of pain shooting along my arms. I huffed and sat for a while, waiting for the sting to subside. My eyes fell on Basch. I couldn't ask him to help me it be weird. I sat for a few moments longer deliberating what to do. _Oh sod it I'll ask him_. The last thing I need is an infected wound on my back because I was too stubborn to ask for help.

"Erm Basch?"

"Yes?" He didn't bother to lift his eyes from the map.

"Could you help me?" This did cause his head to snap up.

"You are sure you cannot do it yourself?"

"I can't reach my shoulder blades." After a brief pause he replied,

"Very well."

He rose and came to sit behind me. I gathered my windswept, knotted hair and held it out of the way. With the torch still in hand he inspected my shoulders. I handed him the balm and attempted to place my attention elsewhere. It was pretty awkward having a man I've known barely a week rub salve on my back. I attempted to relax my suddenly rigid back to no avail. Although I could tell he was as equally uncomfortable with the situation I had lumped us in as even though Basch applied the balm with delicate fingers he worked quickly. It wasn't long before he said,

"It is done." With that he quickly rose and returned to his previous task.

"Thank you."

"Think nothing of it." He returned. "You should sleep now."

"Okay. 'Night."

"Good night." He said not lifting his head, his intrest once more absorbed by the map.

I settled down amongst the others. The balm coating my frazzled skin prevented the coarse blanket irritating it further. With my attention no longer on my wounds I quickly became aware of just how drained I was. It wasn't long before the fierce whistle of the raging winds outside faded into the background and sleep claimed me.


	20. Chapter XX

Author's Notes

I just thought I'd post a new chapter as a thank you to everyone who's read this fanfiction as my little stat-o-meter has flown past 10,000 views this past week! :) Another reason is work is once again getting busy and I thought I'd give you another chapter as quickly as I could just in case updates slow.

Also thanks to Maggiexxmoment for picking up on that tense error. I have a very bad habit of 'skimming' instead of proof reading before uploading chapters and I really need to break that habit!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XX: Pony up, we got a ways to go. **

Morning came too quickly. In the gloom of the cavern it was hard to tell just what hour it was seems as very little natural light filtered in. I was awakened by Penelo.

"Edie. Wake up, we need to move on." She said softly as she shook my shoulder.

I woke with a groan. My skin was still tight and irritable from its previous bout of sandblasting. I dragged myself up and joined the others in eating a hearty breakfast of cured meats, soda bread, fruit, and of course lots of strong coffee.

With our stock once more packed up and distributed between us (Balthier, Fran and I bared most of it due to being in the backline whenever in battle) we left the safety of the cavern. The sandstorm had long died and in its wake were the twisted and battered remains of the desert's sparse vegetation. Today was going to trying thanks to my lack of sleep and raw skin. It wasn't helping that Ashe had taken on the role of slave driver, all the while urging us on. I half expected her to beat a drum so we could keep to a hurried pace and crack a whip at those of us who dared to dawdle.

I sighed and trudged on beside Penelo and Vaan, who despite the heat were in high spirits.

"Edie are you okay? Your face is a bit red."

"Her face is red because she didn't take a potion to cure her sand burns." Vaan said.

"But I used that cactus salve, the one you gave me for my blisters." I explained. It was then I noticed that I was the only member of our group who looked like she had been cooked to a crisp.

"That salve isn't strong enough for such a burn." Penelo informed. "You should take a potion. It will revive your skin and save you from getting an infection. I'd use the salve afterwards also seems as you are paler skinned than the rest of us you might get sunburnt."

"I'm not much paler than you, you know."

"Tch, you look like a ghost! I've never seen anyone was pasty as you." Vaan proclaimed.

"Gee, thanks Vaan." I grumbled whilst locating a potion from the medic kit.

I was a bit miffed that they hadn't mentioned this earlier. It would have saved me from being put through last night's uncomfortable situation with Basch. Typical, there I had been thinking that it would be a waste of a potion when they had already taken some for their own sand burns.

I plucked out a bottle, uncorked it and downed its contents in one gulp. This had been the first ever time I had taken a potion. The taste of it was surprisingly bitter. A strange tang of aniseed, eucalyptus and something I couldn't quite place danced across my tongue. Its heated sensation snaked down my throat and pooled in my stomach where it began to radiated its powers from. The warmth spread from my core throughout my body in a rapid rush as it searched for my ailment. I watched in wonder as the red, cracked skin on my forearms began to smoothen and return back to its normal hue. Although the rapid healing process did hurt at times, this short lived pain was quickly replaced with the soothing calm of the potion's euphoric afterglow. Typically, there was only one way for me to convey my sheer awe at what I had just experienced.

"Cool."

Penelo's giggling interrupted my stupefaction and I quickly lowered the arm I had been gawping at.

"See? Good as new." She smiled and patted my shoulder.

We decided to carry on walking before Ashe realised we had been dragging our heels. With my skin no longer frazzled I found our trek almost bearable.

* * *

For most of the day and well through into the afternoon we hiked along the barren wasteland. Foes were quickly slain by Basch's keen blade. Their quick defeat meant we didn't have to waste our energy or stock in battle. By late afternoon the sun was slowly descending, casting long shadows on the glittering sands.

"We ought make camp." Basch suggested to Ashe.

"The sun still graces us. We shall make camp when it has set." She insisted, still marching.

I groaned. I was exhausted. Although I hadn't participated much in battle today, the weight of our stock that was clung to me was starting to take its toll on my body. There were a few hours of daylight left and I was unsure if my feet could carry me and my load another step further. If Ashe was that desperate to carry onwards, she could drag me the rest of the way. I paused and bent, placing my hands on my knees as I allowed my wobbling legs to rest for a few seconds. That was when I heard it, the harmonious high-pitched cry of a whole pack or hungry fiends. My eyes darted around the terrain to see making their way towards us with impressive speed was a large pack of desert wolves. There were fifteen or so.

"Wolves!" I yelped and spurted forward towards the rest of our group.

They were already in their habitual formation and I quickly clambered along the sand to fall in line with Fran and Balthier. Penelo was also with us. It was Fran's suggestion she take on the role of black mage seems as she had a quite a few creditable black magick licences to her name.

The pack quickly surrounded us and we all shifted our stance to accommodate. I wasn't sure if I'd have the energy to cast my blizzard spell or more importantly, my newly acquired cure spell. As usual, Basch and Vaan led the onslaught and Ashe was keen to prove she could also keep up with their rapid and deadly attacks. Penelo swamped any wolf that was weakened by their assault with an array of spells: thunder, blizzard, fire, water, nearly every element imaginable was conjured and her target would soon fall.

I was too busy admiring Penelo's magick casting skills to notice a wolf had broken through the attack line. Balthier and Fran were quick to bombard it with bullets and arrows though the fiend was incredibly swift. Even though it had been hit a few times by the sky-pirates' ammunition, this didn't stop it from bounding its way right towards me- the runt of our group. With rapid ease I conjured a blizzard spell upon it but this did very little to distinguish its speed. I drew my spear and attempted to beat it back.

Before I knew it I was sprawled out on the sand, the sizable wolf upon me. The only thing stopping its snapping jaws from locking on my throat was my bamboo spear that I had instinctively brought up when the beast had leapt at me. The spear's bamboo rod was held horizontal against the dip of the wolf's powerful neck. My arms were locked straight as I tried with all my might to keep the wolf and its teeth at a safe distance. Its weight bore down on my chest making it harder and harder for me to draw breath. The sour smell of the animal's own breath only made me more aware of just how close this thing was to me. I wondered just how long the flimsy bamboo spear would last against its strength.

With my arms becoming tired, I grunted and attempted to shove the wolf further back. It lost its balance somewhat and decided to find its grip on my shoulder. Its ragged claws made quick work of my flesh. I cried out in pain and attempted to shove him back once more.

"Get... off... me.. you fucking bastard!" I growled.

I was frightened by how dizzy I was becoming. My newly shortened lung capacity and my bleeding shoulder was probably the cause of this. As my strength was slowly ebbing away, my panic rose in a flash. If I lost consciousness I was wolf chow. I was just about to attempt one last desperate shove to topple the wolf off me when an audible whoosh of air could be heard. It was swiftly followed by an all too familiar sound, an arrow hitting its target.

The strength that laced the muscular limbs of the wolf wilted and the great creature slumped forward. My arms, unable to bare its full weight, faltered and the animal's large head drooped against my own. In this strange, new position I could see its pink tongue loll lifelessly from its mouth. Blood tainted the air and now I was fully aware that the animal was actually dead, I once more attempted to shove it off me. It weighed a ton.

"Help! I-I can't get this thing off me!" I squeaked. The wolf was quickly lifted from me and cast aside, were it lay on its back, its feet in the air. I eyed it cautiously before moving to sit up, it looked too much like a cockroach playing dead. Fran bent slightly and offered me her hand. I grabbed it and rose on shaky legs. "Thanks, Fran."

"'Tis best you are trained in how to wield such a weapon otherwise shall be tedious trekking for all." Was all she said before rejoining the rest of the group.

* * *

We moved away from the collection of wolf corpses and the blood soaked sand and set up camp at the foot of one of the Westersand's rocky mounts. This way we didn't have to worry too much about being ambushed or attacked from behind. Vaan and Basch went about setting up camp, Ashe consulted her map, Penelo was doing prep for the meal she was going to cook, and Balthier wasn't doing very much at all save for dishing out one or two of his so called witticisms.

I decided to heal the three large gashes that now decorated my shoulder. I concentrated and summoned the Mist to come forth and do my bidding. The magick quickly wiped the ugly wound from my shoulder and I traced my fingers over the skin where they had once been. With my attention to my shoulder waning, I noticed Fran was some distance off, crouching over something.

I rose and paced over to her. My pulse quickened and I could already feel a nervous blush bloom on my cheeks. As I neared, I noticed the thing Fran was bent over was the carcass of a Cocktrice she had slain earlier. With elegant swoops and flicks of a dagger, she cut the great bird open and rid it of its entrails. My stomach flipped at the raw, gamey smell that assaulted my nose.

"Um, Fran?" There was a long pause as she went about beginning to pluck the bird of its plumage. It did nothing to calm my rising nerves.

"Speak."

"I was wondering if you'd teach me, you know... how to fight?"

She lifted her head to look at me. After another bout of long, silent moments she finally said,

"I cannot." My hope sank into my stomach. Even though I had been expecting such an answer it still sucked having my requested denied. I had almost been looking forward to being Fran's student. I had kind of been hoping some of her elegance and flare might rub off on me. She must have noticed my disappointment as she went on to say, "A tutor I am not. You should be instructed by not only a warrior but a man who has schooled many a soldier." She flicked her head in the direction of our camp.

I glanced back and quickly realised just who she was talking about.

"Basch?"

"He will be a fairer teacher than I."

I suppose she was right, after all Fran was incredibly quick in battle and somewhat closed-mouthed in social situations so the last thing she needed was to be slowed down with a burden like myself. I guess I would just have to try my luck with the likes of Basch.

"Okay. Thanks for the advice." I moved to return back to camp.

"Halt." I turned back to face her to see her making quick work of severing the Cocktrice's head. She lifted the clean carcass to me. "Bestow this upon Penelo on your return." I hesitantly took the slab of meat with a grimace and nodded.

* * *

Fran watched as the girl set off back to the foot of the mountains her head held back, and turned to the side so she wouldn't have to endure the scent of the game's raw flesh as she stumbled across the sand. Fran rose and bowed her head in concentration as she conjured a flame to appear upon the jelly-like pile of innards. The flame soon grew and before long it consumed the whole of its target. Burning the waste was common sense as it wouldn't be long before a desert scavenger caught wind of the foul scent and came to investigate. With her task complete, Fran returned back to the others. Balthier had been watching her and Edie during their brief exchange. As she approached him she could sense a question was posed and ready on his tongue.

"What, pray tell did the waitress ask of you?"

"She fancied having me as her mentor in the art of combat."

"And you declined?"

"An alternative I did offer her."

Balthier cast an eye over at the others all sat around the camp fire, he quickly came across a person ill-fated enough to take up such a listless task.

"Pawned her off onto the Captain, did you?" He questioned, a smirk gracing his attractive features.

"With the same rationale as to why I will not school you. Slow to learn are your kind."

Fran saw that as a fitting end to their conversation and paced off to join the others. Balthier followed her.

* * *

Penelo made a rich stew from the Cocktrice meat which we ate with couscous and vegetables. Due to fatigue taking its toll on us there was very little words spoken as we dined. Only the odd compliment towards Penelo's cooking was vocalised. The sunlight had long died away and the temperature quickly dropped. Even huddled near to the camp's fire I shuddered continuously.

After eating, discussion quickly whirled around about watch shifts. Now that we were sleeping in the open terrain, we couldn't all just simply go off to bed and doze, someone had to keep guard. Before long it had been decided that seems as there were seven of us the duty would be taken in shifts with two men at a time. This way there was less chance of either two falling asleep and for one night, one member of the group would be able to gain a full night of rest. As for pairing, the guards had to be of mixed capabilities in battle (for example a mage with an aggressor) in case there was an attack they could hold their own until the others awoke and aided them. Tonight, I had been paired with Ashe and Penelo was the lucky one who had the night off.

Ashe and I took the first shift. I had to admit, I hadn't really breathed two words to her since she joined our merry band of oddballs. I sat silently at her side allowing myself the odd occasional sly sideway glance at her. I had never been within the presence of royalty before and I was quite fascinated by how different we were. I was sat slumped, she with her back ramrod straight. My head was lolling forward, hers was held high. My eyes were glazed over with tiredness yet hers were still bright and alert as they gazed unblinking out onto the desert's moonlight kissed sand dunes. She was a princess yet the very opposite of all those fairytale maidens who were always in distress or locked away in towers. Instead, she was always the first to draw her sword in battle, the first to rally us onwards if we lagged and the first to dismiss any idea that she didn't feel helped her cause.

I wondered where she had learnt her sword fighting skills. Unlike Vaan's hasty and sometimes haphazard moves Ashe's sword handling was precise and most elegant in her execution. I imagine she had learnt swordplay not as a skill but as a means of socialising, perhaps she fenced.

"Lady Ashe?"

"What is it?" Despite speaking her eyes still remained upon the still and silent desert.

"I was just wondering.. How did you learn to handle your sword like that?"

"It is most customary for crowned heads such as myself to be educated in swordplay. It is seen as bettering oneself and displaying discipline as well as inner strength."

"Who taught you?"

Her posture suddenly became all the more ridged at my question. She lowered her head to look down at her hands, which began to intertwine restlessly on her lap. I bit my tongue when I realised it was probably quite a personal question. Her father, her uncle, or even her late husband could have taught her. I had probably just reminded her of the very thing she was trying so hard to lock away in the corner of her mind so that she could focus on her daunting task. I had up heaved the past and with it came a very awkward silence.

"Sorry.. didn't mean to be nosy."

"T'was Basch who taught me." She said raising her head once more.

Her words hung heavily in the air. It was clear she was still dealing with conflict about whether the knight could be trusted or not. I could have brought up the subject and defended Basch's incorruptibility, but I was tired and I was pretty sure Ashe wouldn't have cared for my opinions on him. I removed my eyes from her form and placed them once more onto the darkened desert.

We were relived of our watch a few hours later by Balthier and Vaan. As soon as I had settled into one of the sleeping bags warmth greeted my shivering limbs. When I had been heated enough by my own body heat radiating in the insulated fabric, sleep snatched me away from the world of wake.

* * *

We rose with the sun and after a quick breakfast were once more on the move. I plodded on only pausing now and then to hitch the rucksack into a more comfortable position. I was towards the back of the group stepping in time with Penelo. I glanced up ahead. Ashe was leading in that tireless march of hers, Basch a few paces behind her. I mulled over when would be an appropriate time to ask my request. I was positive he was bound to give me the same reply Fran had but still it was worth a try.

Towards the afternoon the desert's rough and rocky terrain gave way to a much different plain. A blanket of silken sand stretch out to the horizon and dotted along its course was a collection of strange metal structures. They were like walkways. I gazed out at the scenery in wonder. What was this place?

"We are on the cusp of the Sandsea. I say this merits a rest." Balthier said as he stopped in his tracks.

I looked over to Ashe who after a long pause, nodded in agreement. I sighed in relief and shrugged off the hefty rucksack and stretch my arms up in an attempt to revive my knotted back. We sat down and the flasks of water were passed around. Basch was once more studying the map. Penelo rose and paced over to him.

"So, where exactly is Raithwall's tomb?" I heard her question. Basch folded away the map and straightened himself. He crossed his arms over his chest and answered,

"Far to the west. We first must cross the Ogir-Yensa, and beyond that the Nam-Yensa, before we reach the tomb." I felt my shoulders slump at his words. I remembered when he showed me the map and how much land was in between us and our destination. "An expanse of desert larger still than all of Dalamasca. We must pace ourselves. If you grow tired, we stop and take rest."

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm tougher than I look." Penelo assured him. I smiled. She wasn't kidding, when she had to be Penelo could be one tough cookie.

"You are at that." Said Basch. There was the slightest hint of laughter in his tone. I turned to glance back at him. _I guess he does remember how to enjoy himself after all._ I felt my smile broaden.

* * *

Trekking along the Sandsea, we soon came before one of those rusting structures. As we walked along them I could see that these strange elevated walkways snaked along the entire vast stretch of sand. Sometimes I wish I had a camera with me so I could record and relive all of Ivalice's captivating vistas. Although this land wasn't as beautiful as the likes of Rabanastre or Bhujerba there was still something about it. Perhaps it was because it was a surviving scrap of Ivalice's history depicting the industrious side of the civilisations that tried to harness nature and from the looks of it had failed. Vaan paused to look out at the dead land. I stopped at his side also admiring the towering rigs.

"A construct to draw oil from the ground." Came Basch's gruff voice. The two of us turned. "Abandoned many years now it seems."

"Did Dalmascans build this?" Vaan asked.

"No the Rozarrians. Their Empire lies far to the west, ever at war with Archadia." Vaan glanced at me. I wanted to roll my eyes and reassure him that despite what people said, I wasn't a Rozarrian. I kept quiet. "Heedless of the kingdoms caught in their midst. Dalmasca, Nabradia, Landis."

I frowned at the last name he mentioned. I had never heard of such a place, nor had there been a Landis on the map we owned.

"Tis the small craft's fate: to watch the list of the galleons and pray for light winds." Announced a familiar voice from behind our group. It was that of Vossler's. I peered past Basch to see the knight pace towards us.

"Vossler. Why are you here?" His fellow captain queried.

"Imagine my surprise that upon my return to Bhujerba, I find both you and the Lady Ashe have vanished. I thought you above consorting with sky-pirates."

"Balthier is a man worthy of our trust. And it was the Lady Ashe's decision." Basch justified. "I am content to lend my arm. As I could not when Rasler died, when her throne was taken. Never again. I will defend her this time."

"You walk the knight's path. The Lady Ashe?" Basch gestured with a nod of his head. Stood not far off in the shade the great rusting tower offered was Ashe. Her attention was to the Sandsea below. Vossler set off towards her, nodding at us in greeting as he passed.

"Guess it will be easy travelling now that Vossler's with us." I said.

"Don't worry, there's no fiends 'round here. Looks like you won't have to spend the rest of the day being wolf bait." Vaan smirked, folding his arms behind his head.

"Ha. Ha." I replied in a spit of sarcasm. I quickly stalked off. Stupid Vaan, he won't be so smug when I get Basch to coach me. My first conquest after I had accomplished my training would be to mop the floor with him.

I passed the sky-pirates and went to stand beside Penelo.

"Vossler's here. I think he's going to travel with us."

"His sword would certainly be welcomed. I'm exhausted from fighting fiends!"

"It's good to know I'm not the only one." I smiled.

"We leave at once!" I overhead Balthier's raised voice. Penelo and I quickly walked round so that we stood with them. "This is Urutan-Yensa territory and they are unfond of visitors."

Fran turned to look at the ocean of sand. I copied her movements and also peered out at the horizon. Suddenly, a swirl forming in the pristine sands seized my wandering eyes. The disturbed sand was rapidly snaking its way towards us and more worryingly there were ten or so more. Sand erupted and cast about the air like a cloud as a bizarre, fish-like creature leaped from the ground only to promptly dive once more into the sandsea. Its movements were much like a dolphin's. I squinted at the oversized and intimidating looking fish (It looked like a piranha on steroids) to see a small figure perched on top of it.

"What is that?" I gasped pointing.

Each fish was being ridden by a small and very odd creature. It was difficult to tell just what they looked like due to them being shrouded by large cloaks and head scarves. As the tore their way through the sand they shrilly yelp and whooped like Native Americans did when approaching battle. Their war cry rang through the air and instantly provoked my pulse. I'd rather be fighting off wolves than this bunch. They seemed vicious and intent on ridding their territory of us trespassers.

"Looks like we've attracted the wrong sort of attention. Let's quit this place while we still can. Move!" Balthier said as he burst into a sprint. We were all quick on his heels. The last thing we needed was to be swamped by a mob of angry sand dwellers.

The Yensa were quick little critters. They scuttled up the bridges and walkways with remarkable speed and in numbers that were making even the normally cool-headed Balthier loose his nerve. We banded together in our usual formation and attempted to shrink their numbers. Many of them used bow and arrows and magicks that were far stronger than mine or Penelo's. Luckily, Fran's conjuring abilities were on par with the fiends and she would alternate her attacks with black magick. I spent most battles running around handing out potions and antidotes and casting curative magick.

With the seemingly constant attack from the Yensa, we were making very little progress in our travels. However, soon the Sandsea fell quiet. The hideous creatures had retreated, probably to rally more numbers together.

"We take rest and recuperate our might so that we many vanquish the Yensa upon their return." Vossler said.

There were no arguments and we rested around one of the rig's large circular towers. We decided to split up and sit in groups and face different directions around the tower so that if and when the creatures came again we wouldn't be caught unaware and have to endure an ambush. I slumped against the oxidize steel of the tower and took a large slurp of water from a leather flask. I passed the flask to Penelo and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Penelo.. I've been thinking." I said as I squinted up at the sky.

"Hm?" She secured the flask's ornate, metal cap back in its place and it on the ground. "About what exactly?"

"About having someone train me properly in how to use this thing." I lifted my spear.

"Edie, you should not worry too much about that. As long as you can cast curative magicks you'll fair fine in battle."

"Really? It's just Fran suggested I should learn how to use my spear."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She said I should perhaps ask Basch to train me."

"And have you asked this of him?"

"That's what I've been thinking about. What if he says he doesn't want to? I'll never be able to hold my own in a fight."

"You will." She placed a hand on my shoulder "With each battle comes experience. You'll see, in time."

"How did you learn?"

"Well.. Vaan taught me actually." She said. There was a long pause as she pondered over the subject. "...I guess it would be wise to ask him, though don't be too disheartened if he declines. He is a knight after all, his priority is Ashe."

"Okay." I nodded.

* * *

We took off walking once more. Although the Yensa were still lurking in the many nooks the rigs had, their numbers weren't as great as their initial attack. I walked along beside Penelo, who after a while poked me in the ribs.

"No time like the present, you know." She urged.

I blew air out through my cheeks, gave her a stiff nod and increased my pace until I came to walk along beside Basch. He was traipsing a respectable distance behind Ashe and Vossler. He didn't acknowledge my presence which only fed my growing nerves.

"Basch?" I said quietly, trying my hardest to keep my nerves out of my tone.

"Yes?" He finally turned his head to peer down at me. We both paused in our tracks.

"I was wondering if you'd help me..." I trailed off. No that sounded too similar to the last request I asked of him and we hadn't really exchanged words since then. "I- You see I'm not very good at fighting and I was hoping, maybe, you could show me how?"

"This is not the best of times." Was his answer and he carried on walking. My disappointment was quickly replaced by a flash of determination. I spurted after him.

"I know, I know, but I'm the weakest of the group and well I'm slowing everyone down."

"Of that you are right yet there is no need to be fearful. There are many of us who will act as your defence until you improve."

I was damned if I allowed him to brush off my request that easily, he was my last chance to better myself in battle. I stopped and said,

"I didn't want to say this but you promised." I placed my hands on my hips. He paused and turned.

"I did no such thing." He claimed in a stern and solemn tone.

"Yes you did. After you left my apartment in the Low Town you said that you would see to it that my generosity was repaid- well today's the day."

"You speak the truth yet now is nay the opportune time for such compensation. I have duties that I must abide by. My attention cannot stray from them."

"You mean protecting Ashe?" I questioned. Even though Basch did indeed 'walk the knight's path' I was going to illustrate to him just how unappreciated his efforts were by his sovereign.

"Yes. I-" I didn't hang around to hear his explanation. I stalked off ahead to catch up with the queen and the knight she actually did place her trust in.

"Excuse me, Lady Ashe?" I questioned, rudely interrupting her and Vossler's conversation.

"Yes, what is it?" That snipped tone she used when talking to Vaan was gracing her voice.

"I was wondering if I could have Basch train me when we stop to rest."

"And you are asking my permission for this?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could explain to Basch that with his training I wouldn't be completely hopeless in battle."

"The girl does have a point, m'lady. She is most incompetent in battle and with my being here, now is a better time than any to school her." Vossler insisted. Ashe sighed and said,

"Very well. Though you can handle this matter Vossler. I care not what Basch does." With that she picked up her pace, leaving Vossler and I behind to wait for Basch to catch up with us.

"She hasn't been filling your ears with nonsense, has she?" Basch questioned his equal, ignoring me completely.

"Far from it, she speaks sense. Why do you refuse her training?"

"I do not refuse. It as I spoke upon to her, I have many promises I must keep."

"The Lady Ashe believes it would be sensible to school her. After all, I am here. I will guard her while you do so."

"You and I are both privy to the fact that this will be no singular session. To train her well will take time and effort. I dread to think what would occur if I were too spent to protect her majesty."

"Good gods, Basch!" Chuckled Vossler, "You were once the captain of her majesty's royal army. You schooled countless soldiers whilst guarding Dalmasca's monarchy. Times may have changed but your charge is still the same."

"So be it. I will do as her majesty asks." He said through a suddenly tightened jaw.

I wasn't really sure which had angered him the most, Vossler's jibe or the fact he would have to instruct a hopeless cause. I, on the other hand, was ecstatic with my conquest. With a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, I waltzed back to walk with Penelo.


	21. Chapter XXI

Author's Notes

Just want to give a big thank you to my lovely readers. You're reviews are always a big pick-me-up! I managed to churn out another chapter seems as I'm all the way in the middle of countryside looking after a friend's dogs (all five of them!) who are keeping me warm whilst I write.

Disclaimer

I don't own FFXII. I do own Edie, my OC.

16-06-11

Just a warning...

It's summer and thanks to my work load, work is increasing and I don't have as much spare time. But please don't worry, I won't leave you guys hanging. I still keep typing away whenever I find a spare moment.

Also, just to answer some questions that have been brought up in reviews for this chapter- yes it still will have a romance theme weaved through it at some point. The thing is I really needed for Edie to establish relationships with the cast and, more importantly, with Basch. I never wanted it to come out of the blue because, let's face it, neither Basch or Edie start off their journey with the gang looking for love so it will take them a little bit more time to see otherwise. Right now I'm mainly focusing on ways to 'shove' them together, hence their new student/mentor relationship.

Have a good summer!

* * *

**Chapter XXI: Skin and Bones**

Basch's annoyance quickly faded as his features once more set into that usual passive mask he had come accustom to sporting. I understood his exasperation, I really did. Here he was already enduring the wearisome task of being a human shield to a princess who still stubbornly believed his was accountable for the fall of not only her kingdom, but her beloveds. The last thing this selfless knight needed was to be bullied into training me, a complete and utter novice in combat. As the contentedness from my conquest faded, guilt swirled in my stomach. I made a promise, not only to myself but to Basch, that I wouldn't lark about and squander his efforts in training me. I was going to be the ideal pupil so he wouldn't regret the time he spent training me.

We kept our persistent pace and before long the catwalks once more touched sturdier grounds. We descended and began trekking on the dry land. Fran, who was to the middle of our group once more paused. This time her ears pricked and twitched as if the unknown noise was irritating them.

"More hardships for us to endure?" Balthier asked, wearily crossing his arms over his chest.

"A Moogle, to the west. There is a Urutan-Yensa with him, though I believe peril he is not in." She stated quietly, her ears still deciphering the distant sounds.

"Should we go check it out?" Vaan stepped forward. Everyone's eyes fell upon Ashe, waiting for her answer.

"It would prove wise, Highness. This Moogle may know of a way to keep the Urutan at bay." Vossler suggested to her.

"Very well. Onwards." She agreed.

We soon came across the Moogle in a small bay which overlooked the tranquil flow of the Sandsea. Fran had been right. A Urutan was with him, though there was nothing aggressive or threatening about his behaviour. Upon seeing us, he quickly muttered something in a foreign tongue to the Moogle and scuttle past us.

"What d'ya think all that was about?" Vaan asked as he turned to watch the fleeing creature.

"Best we go enquire." Balthier said and sauntered off towards the Moogle. We followed.

"Did you see that Urutan-Yensa just now, Kupo?"

"Yeah, why'd he run off?" Vaan asked.

"They're usually a violent lot but this one wanted help. The Urutan-Yensa are all up in a panic about a creature on the Nam-Yensa Sandsea. Their bloody enemy, it seems. One of them was asking for help... an Urutan-Yensa asking for help! Whatever it is, it's got to be bad, Kupo." He eyed our group for a moment or two and added, "You look pretty strong. Maybe you could have a swing at the thing, Kupo? It's supposed to be something like a giant tortoise. He said he'd found some treasure of the Sandsea, too. Why, you might be able to claim that as a reward if you're successful, Kupo."

"Treasure you say? Perhaps we should lend our brawn for such a bounty." Balthier said.

I could believe he could be so easily sold on the idea at the mere mentioning of treasure. That was twice now.

"But why help them? They haven't been very welcoming." I said.

"You are right. We have not the time for the problems of these inhospitable sand dwellers. We move onwards and let them deal with their own affairs." Ashe agreed.

I smiled. It made a change that someone actually agreed with me.

"Though that may be the truth, our means are growing sparse and perhaps if we did aid them in their plight, they may be more forthcoming." Vossler suggested. "What say you?" There was a pause in the discussion as Ashe mulled over the matter.

"Then we best be swift and if such a foe is too much for us, we abandon this cause. There is no use in wasting our lives over such issue."

"To the Nam-Yensa we head then." Penelo said. Though I was positive that cheery tone she used had been selected to hide her nerves. I wasn't really sure how a tortoise like creature could be seen as a deadly foe but in Ivalice pretty much anything goes.

"You okay?" I asked her once we had said our farewells to the Moogle and set off once more.

"Yeah.. it's just I remember a tale about the Urutan-Yensa Eater. Parents tell it to their children in hopes they will be good. They say that if a child misbehaves too often, a Urutan will come and take you away and offer you up to the horrible monster so that it will stop feeding off their tribes. I remember I couldn't sleep for weeks after I had been told that. Silly, huh?"

"Of course not! You were just a kid. Of course you were going to be scared by a story like that."

"What about you? Do you still not remember anything of your past, your childhood?"

A newer, stronger surge of guilt swelled within me. I was still keeping up this terrible lie. A part of me wanted nothing more than to confess the truth, that I was from another world, but every time it was roused I would hastily silence it. I just couldn't tell her, not now maybe not ever. The group already thought I was strange and useless enough as it was. If I started spinning stories about how I was from another dimension they would probably abandon me on the spot. After all, nobody needs a crazy person travelling with them, less of all Princess Ashe.

"Nope still blank... I wonder if it will ever come back."

"It will. I'm sure of it. All we have to do is try and find Kaiser, right?"

Kaiser. My thoughts of him had also been pushed to the murky depths of my head. Lately, I had been too preoccupied in fighting for my life and travelling that he had almost been forgotten. I wonder were in Ivalice he had gotten to? Was he even still alive? I shuddered and quickly pushed the pesky string of questions once more to the back of my mind. I had to focus on the now in order to save us both.

"Yeah. We'll find him." I said with a nod. Penelo smiled in response.

* * *

After an afternoon of hiking we stopped at the mouth of the Nam-Yensa. The sun was hanging low in the now orange tinged sky and as it ebbed away so did our energy. We decided it would be best to make camp and prepare ourselves for tomorrow when we would find and fight the dreaded Urutan-Yensa Eater.

Basch stayed true to his word and after we had both eaten, my training began.

"Splendid! A bit of after-supper entertainment is just what we need to brighten our spirits." I heard Balthier proclaim loud enough for me to hear. My grip tightened on my spear.

"There's always the part of target dummy, I'm sure the _Leading Man_ could fill that role well enough." I spat back over my shoulder.

"At times such as these he stands back and allows the lesser roles to partake in the limelight."

"How generous of you!" I rolled my eyes to accompany my sarcastic comment.

"What can I say? I am a man of the people."

_Oh yeah, Balthier is Ivalice's answer to Robin Hood!_

I was about to retort when I noticed Basch was stood waiting, his arms folded across his chest. I quickly rearranged my mindset and muttered an apology at my newly acquired mentor.

"We begin with the rudiments. Exhibit how you would hold your weapon in an en guard stance." I shrugged and altered my position somewhat. My legs were at hip's width and both hands held my spear. "A weak stance. It will do you no good." I looked down wondering what I was doing wrong. "Amend you posture. Bare your weight on strong legs yet do not seize them straight. Straighten your back and strengthen the abdomen. Widen the breadth in which you have gripped the spear."

I complied and reorganized myself into a stronger stance. I was rewarded with a grunt of approval. "Put this to memory. Shift from a natural stance to that of an en guard." I fell back into a regular posture and then quickly shifted into my newly learnt stance, all the while under Basch's scrutiny. He shook his head in disapproval and tapped my stomach. "You must hold your abdomen strong. It is a fighter's core, where force expels from. It matters not if you have succeeded to hold your limbs well, if your core is weak the fight you will lose." I tightened my stomach. "Again." I quickly repeated the exercise.

It took me over an hour before I could rapidly and easily fall into a battle basic stance. Even though it was a somewhat simple exercise, I was drained. However, there was little time for rest as Basch was keen to move onto the next lesson.

"You are to strike at me as you would a foe." He ordered.

I nodded and swung my spear at him. He effortlessly blocked it with his forearm. I had put all my strength behind that attack and even though his leather gauntlet probably absorbed some of the blow, he was totally unfazed. If the roles had been reversed, I would have been jumping up and down, howling in pain and clutching my arm. He shook his head once more in disapproval at my execution. "Look upon your hands. They have strayed from their initial position. For a simple attack to have might, you must hold your weapon steadily. Again."

I repeated it over and over again and each time the same thing happened. My hands would shift closer together. Despite Basch's patience I was growing more and more irritated with myself. I couldn't believe I was stupid enough not to be able to break this bad habit I had acquired. Tired with the same result, Basch decide to bind my hands to the spear in hope it would be easier for me to learn. Despite looking like a dunce, it was successful and I could focus on how to use my core when attacking. After countless repetitions of striking at thin air and heeding much of Basch's instructions, I soon managed to perform a simple strike. Basch unbound my hands and I surprisingly, my hands didn't stray from their position.

"Inexperienced you may be, yet you have a want to learn. Perhaps this won't be the discouraging challenge I had anticipated."

"Great! So we make this a regular thing, you train me when we stop to rest." I grinned.

He nodded and said,

"Though rest is as important as your tuition. You must not exhaust yourself."

"Right!"

With my first lesson over and feeling content with the progress I made (little was better than nothing) I rejoined the group around the campfire. It was now dark and the moonlight traced the outlines of the rigs and walkways in the distance, making their structure look skeletal and all the more eerie. We soon decided guard watches and went to sleep. I had the early morning watch with Fran.

* * *

I was woken from a deep and dreamless sleep by Fran gently shaking my shoulder. I pulled myself up from the sleeping bag, which was fashioned from hyena hide and wolf fur. The desert air was still bitterly cold, making leaving my little cocoon even more of a challenge. I pluck up my spear and trudged over to join Fran. She was sat on a weathered rock, her crimson eyes scanning the skies.

"Can I make some coffee?" I whispered as I slumped down beside her.

"Too much noise it would make. Take water until morning." She handed me her flask.

Water wasn't going to wake my sluggish mind. I think I must have left half of it in the land of nod. I gazed out at the Sandsea, its quicksand like surface flowed calmly. Above it swirled a thick stream of fog. I hadn't really noticed it in the harsh daylight yet its flow wove along the catwalks stretching up from the sand. It too was flowing serenely, those otherworldly colours churning leisurely as it rolled by.

"What is it you look upon with such wonder?" Although Fran's voice was soft it still made me jump. I had been so enthralled by the haze that I had forgotten she was sat at my side.

"The Sandsea." I lied.

I didn't look at her, though I could feel her eyes upon me, surveying me. There was something about Fran that gave me the impression that she could sense a lie. "The Mist. You can see it, can you not?" This did provoke me to look at her. My widened eyes must have answered her question. "Hume eyes are blind to the Mist. How can it be that you can see it?"

"I-I don't know."

I really didn't.

* * *

Morning slowly rolled round. The inky black sky was soon awash with a pale pink as the sun lazily rose to lend us its heat. As soon as everyone was awake, I quickly went about brewing some coffee. I was going to need a lot of it today. My body ached all over from the constant hiking and I don't think my training sessions had help much either. Every muscle in my being was wound so tight that it felt as if they snap if I exerted myself. I slurped back two tin cups full of the stuff and immediately felt somewhat better. We packed away our make-shift camp and once again set off for yet another day in the harsh heat of the Sandsea.

There was another tradesman travelling by chocobo not far from where we had spent the night. We used what little gil we had left to once more purchase magicks, potions and upgrade our armour or weapons. Penelo requested to buy a silver device that looked somewhat like a large clasp on a keychain. She didn't really explain why. I was loaded up with a few more magick licenses, they were mainly spells to help cure aliments caused by poisons, venom and other nasty things some foes favoured to use. We also traded some of the hide and scales we had harvest from some of our kills. These fetched a suitable amount of gil and even a few flasks of water. Afterwards, it was back to our seemingly never-ending hike.

The Nam-Yensa was a slightly different terrain. There were no rigs blotting the scenery, instead there were a few rickety wooden bridges that could be used to cross the Sandsea. There were more cliffs and craggy mounts here as well as vegetation. The Urutan-Yensa were still a threat and would often swarm around our group, their arrows raining down on us all the while. Even crossing the bridges proved hazardous due to their piranha-like steeds being able to attacks us from the Sandsea that churned below.

After most of the morning battling our way across the Nam-Yensa Sandsea, a strange thing occurred. Two Urutan-Yensa took off across the sands upon our approach.

"How peculiar. Why would they flee instead of stand and fight us?" Ashe said, watching the crab-like creatures scuttle off.

"They flee not." Fran said, her eyes set to the horizon. "They go to lend their arms to their brethren. The Urutan-Yensa Eater is near."

We quickly set off after them, dashing along the fine sands. As we cleared a small sand dune, there below us, near to the shore of the Sansea was the mighty Urutan-Yensa Eatern. This was no mere tortoise. It was huge, the size of a fully grown male elephant with a shell that looked impenetrable. A small group of Urutan-Yensa surrounded the beast yet their arrows and spears did little harm. Every now and then, its great head would lunge forward and out of its shell. Its powerful beak would snap up a Urutan and devour it in the blink of an eye. _How the hell were we going to slay this thing?_

"Make for its legs. If we can topple it, victory will be swift!" Vosslor shouted as we torn through the sands towards our foe.

"Be wary of its head!" Fran readied her bow.

We fell in line with the remaining Urutan, who were too busy with their relentless assault to acknowledge us. Despite the new spear skills I had learnt, I decided it was probably best to stick to magick. Getting too close to the Urutan-Eater seemed hazardous as it would whip round in a flash and snap up a Urutan-Yensa. Basch, Vosslor and Ashe were brave enough to slash at its sturdy legs with their swords.

Vaan dashed over to lend a hand when suddenly, the great turtle whirled around. A few heart stopping moments slowly crawled by as those of us in the back line watched as the Urutan-Eater's mighty head darted out of its shell, its jaws snapping at Vaan. He quickly tried to dodge, yet the monster was just as quick as he. It seized his little, metal waistcoat and with a flick of its head, whipped the boy up into the air. Vaan had been lucky he had been quick enough to move otherwise the Urutan-Eater would have scoffed him down. Vaan landed with a thud, yet he didn't land on the dry, sandy ground. He was sprawled out on top of the beast's dense shell.

"Vaan!" Penelo gasped. She moved to run to his aid yet Balthier quickly seized her wrist and yanked her back.

"Panic not. The creature cannot reach him, he will be safe. I'd start conjuring magicks and quick if you wish to save him." Penelo looked over at Vaan, who was now on his feet and attempting to hack at the Urutan-Eater's shell. She gave a brisk nod and Balthier released her wrist. I also conjured up every black magick I had learnt so far in order to help.

"This is doing no good!" Penelo growled in frustration, her eyes glued to Vaan.

"Then perhaps you would care to offer up a better tactic?" Balthier questioned as he nimbly reloaded his pistol.

"I- I don't have one.." She stammered.

"Look!" Fran pointed.

A Urutan-Yensa was stood in front of the mouth of its shell, yet even before he could draw an arrow from his quiver, The Urutan-Eater lunged forward and snapped him up. "It senses when a foe is at its front. If we can entice it to reveal its head, Vaan can attack it from above."

"Sounds like a good enough strategy. Well then, my dear, you'd best be off to entice our formidable foe out of its shell." Balthier said to Penelo.

"What? No!" I stepped forward. "It's too dangerous! What happens if that thing eats her?"

"Then you are willing to go in her place?"

"Erm..."

"She is swifter than you, she will manage well." Fran reassured me.

I sighed heavily to show my backing down. Penelo darted off towards the killer turtle and now it was I who had my eyes glue on her. She drew her dagger and shouted up to Vaan, telling him our new tactic. He nodded and she positioned herself in front of the Urutan-Eater. It happily took the bait and its hefty head lunged out of its shell once more. Penelo artfully outmanoeuvred its attack with the grace of a swan. Vaan jumped down, bringing his sword upon its leathery neck. The beast's high-pieced screech confirmed than Vaan had been quick enough to damage it. Enraged further, it flung Vaan aside. He hit the ground with a loud thump. The others saw this as an opportune moment to topple the Urutan-Eater. Vosslor rattled off a string of deadly blows and the creature's leg soon buckled. It roared again.

"Vaan!" I heard Penelo shout. She was by his side and he was still sprawled out on the sand, not moving.

I hissed a curse and took off towards them.

"Is he okay?"

"The blow must have caused him to lose consciousness." She said as she helped prop his head up.

I quickly rummaged around in my medic kit. I soon found what I was looking for. There was a potion brewed from the feathers of a phoenix, it helps bring people round from unconsciousness quicker and replenish their spent energy. There was an earth shattering rumble as the rest of the group had managed to finally upturn the Urutan-Eater. With its soft belly now exposed, it wouldn't take long to slay it. I uncorked the bottle and handed it to Penelo. She carefully cupped Vaan's head and poured the Phoenix Down past Vaan's lips. We waited with baited breath to see if it would take effect. I quickly looked Vaan over. He had some cuts and bruises, not to mention a nasty red mark where the neckline of his waistcoat had bit into his skin when the monster had up heaved him. He soon awoke with a groan.

"Vaan? Are you alright?" Penelo asked.

He blinked hard a few times as if the sunlight irritated his eyes or perhaps he was trying to piece things together to try and explain why he was on his back.

"Argh! M-my leg!" He quickly sat up and clutched at his thigh. "I can't move it!" He hissed through gritted teeth. He must have broken it when he was thrown across the sand like a ragdoll.

I closed my eyes and focused on healing his broken limb with magicks.

"Any better?" I asked once the spell had been cast.

"Much better." He sighed. "The Urutan-Yensa Eater!" He gasped when he finally remembered we were indeed in the middle of a battle.

A shrill wail answered his worries. Our heads whipped round to see the once great beast motionlessly lying on its side. Its belly had been riddled with gashes, bullet holes and arrows. The blood than leaked from these wounds was slowly staining the sand a dark brown.

"It's dead..." Penelo said as we continued to take in the grizzly scene before us. We got up and quickly trekked over to the others. They all looked exhausted.

"We head back to the Moogle, with a scrap of shell as proof." Ashe said. She handed me the sizable chunk of shell and I stored it in the medic kit.

I couldn't believe we now had to travel all the way back, it was going to take hours. I huffed and trudge on alongside Vaan and Penelo, who were equally as disenchanted.

* * *

We pushed onwards and late into the afternoon we finally came across the bay once more. The Moogle and the Urutan-Yensa were there, they were deep in conversation speaking in that strange tongue that must have been the Urutan's language.

"You killed the wild scourge of the Sandsea, Kupo?" He gasped as we approached. I quickly yanked the shell fragment out of the medic kit and showed it to him. "Amazing!"

"It was a cinch!" Grinned Vaan.

"Well of course it was for you, you were unconscious for most of the bloody battle." I muttered.

"Now I do believe payment is due. This treasure you spoke of will do." Balthier stepped forward, hand outstretched.

The Urutan-Yensa went to reach for his pouch. The mild breeze that had been keeping the muggy heat at bay suddenly intensified into a mighty whirl. It caused the sand to be cast about the air in a cloud. Yet just as we were going to seek cover, it rapidly died down once more. Once the sand settled it revealed that there was a gathering of Urutan-Yensas, their fish-like steeds and even a bigger, stronger looking creature, who was clearly their leader. The Moogle gasped and staggered back to join our group.

"Kupo! A gathering of the Urutan-Yensa! A truly rare occurrence!" He was practically hoping from foot to foot in excitement.

We all watched as the Urutan Queen singled out the Urutan that had been speaking to the Moogle. She chattered at him in and the two were quickly drawn into a discussion. The Moogle listened with twitching ears. "Kupo? Kupo-po? Wait, what's happening, Kupo?"

"What are they saying?" Vaan asked.

"Wait! No! They're going to execute him!" He dashed forward and pushed his way through the crowd of Urutans until he was in front of their leader. "Don't do this! The creature would still be at large if it weren't for his plea for help, Kupo!" Shockingly, the Urutan Queen spoke, and she did so in our tongue.

"You shame us by seeking aid outside the tribe! Urutan-Yensa are lords and masters of the sea, we seek the aid of none!" She spat at her minion, who quickly chattered something back to her. "Your words are the howling of the sand to my ears! I condemn you to dust!" With that the poor little Urutan was incinerated by a blast of fast forming flames. From where I stood I could smell the charred remains and the scorched earth. The Moogle gasped.

"Wh-Wh-What have you done, Kupo?" He stammered as he watched the ashes of the Urutan be blown away by the desert breeze. "You bring him back!"

"Those who sully our name will be punished, be they foeman or kin. They must pay the honour-price. There can be no forgiveness! I would destroy you, too... but I am merciful. Better you live to tell the world that the Urutan are not to be taken lightly. Now, leave!" With her warning said, she scuttled off, her fellow Urutans quickly scurrying after her.

Once they had gone the Moogle approached us.

"That rogue Urutan... He wouldn't have been happy back with his clan, I'm sure of it, Kupo." Something caught his eye and he turned. A beautiful, purple flower was not far off from where we stood. Strange, I didn't remember that being there before. "That flower...It's rare to see one blooming in the Sandsea, Kupo. Maybe the treasure that he found was this?"

"A flower? Hardly the treasure I had hoped for." Balthier sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. Fran paced her way over the sand and plucked it from the ground.

"It bears Eksir berries." She informed upon her return. "They may come in good use."

"True. They say that there is a type of Avion that takes much disliking to Eksir berries. Apparently, it's deadly to them." The Moogle informed.

I was given the berries to store in my bag. We gave the Moogle the Urutan-Eater's shell as a thank you and once more set off.

* * *

With daylight quickly fading, we set up camp in pretty much the same spot as before, at the mouth of the Nam-Yensa. Basch and I trained, whilst Penelo was cooking our evening meal. Today's lesson was a basic defence stance. It went pretty much like my other lessons. It would take me countless attempts before I finally grasped it. Once I had, Basch suddenly went to strike me with a sun-bleached piece of driftwood. I brought my spear up to block it.

"Hey!" I hotly shouted.

"Attacks never have a forewarning." He said. I guess he did have a point, still the unexpectedness of it had shocked me. "Your gallantry should never be allowed to falter in battle. If you allow that, you will pay with your life." I guess it wasn't just fancy moves I needed to learn, I needed to learn to control my nerves also.

He struck again and this time I managed to intercept it better. I quickly shifted from my defensive stance and instigated an attack. He still effortlessly blocked it, but his nod of approval spurred me on. We engaged in this basic sparing until Penelo beckoned us to come eat. At the end of the night, I was exhausted, heavy-eyed but deeply content that I was making some progress.


	22. Chapter XXII

Author's Notes

I finally got a day off and wrote this chapter in one sitting! I find once I get back into the flow of writing this thing it gets incredibly addictive!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXII: We Are Adventuring, We Are Adventurers.**

I sat up in my sleeping bag and watched the fire sway and dance to its own off-beat pulse. Typical, it was my night off from guard duty and I couldn't sleep. I sighed and looked beyond the blur of the flame's heat to see that Basch and Penelo were taking first watch. I suppose if I was awake I might as well lend a hand. I hauled myself up from the warmth of my sleeping bag, ignoring my limbs throbbing in protest and paced over to them.

"Edie?" Penelo said, squinting through the desert's darkness upon my approach. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope. Just can't seem to sleep."

"Although your mind craves not rest your body does so. You should heed it." Basch said, not even turning his head to acknowledge my presence. He was too busy undertaking his knightly duty.

"I guess so." I sighed. I felt like a child who had been caught staying up past her bedtime. As I was about to return back to bed, Penelo's soft voice nipped at my attention.

"Wait. I have something for you."

She pulled a strange looking ornament from the pouch that hung from her jumpsuit. I instantly recognised the clasp as the one she had purchased from the tradesman earlier today. From the decorative silver clasp sprouted a bright red fur. It swung lazily as she held the clasp's chain with her thumb and forefinger.

"It's beautiful." I gasped as she handed it to me.

I ran my fingers along the soft, fine fur. I suddenly realised it was wolf fur that had been dyed red. I remembered seeing Penelo fiddle around with a vial of red dye earlier today, when we had paused in our trekking for a rest.

"I thought it may come in handy. According to that spear manual of yours, many fighters adorn their weapons with these charms so that the bright red colour will distract the eye of the enemy."

"Thank you, Penelo." I quickly enveloped her in a hug to stress my thanks. I caught Basch glancing over his shoulder at us. "Look Basch. Look what Penelo gave me." I outstretched my hand. He approached and retrieved the large charm that lay in my palm.

"This is of a high quality. Did you craft this, Penelo?" He asked after a few silent moments of his scrutiny.

"Yeah.. Well, I bought the clasp but the wolf fur I trimmed and dyed myself." Her hands were clasped behind her back and she rocked her weight slightly back and forth on her feet, a clear sign she was bashful that her gift was receiving such praise.

"The cut and the treatment of the pelt is as if an artisan fur crafter had prepared it. Such a talent should nay be squandered."

"It's nothing, really. My mother and father were fur traders. I used to watch my mother make all manner of crafts from the excess fur so that they would gain a greater income... She sometimes would allow me to help." A glimpse into Penelo's past. I could see she was still upset about losing them, she had that same slight quiver in her tone she had had when she had first mentioned them to me. I hugged her again.

"It's great! I love it." I beamed.

Basch saw to it that the charm was securely attached to the bottom of the spear's blade. Its brilliant red perked up the spear's simple form. Afterwards, I returned to my sleeping bag. This time sleep was easier to grasp.

* * *

As usual, I was the last one to rise in the morning. We always awoke just before daybreak so we could wake our sluggish bodies with food and ease into the desert's daily heat wave.

I noticed Fran was brewing something other than coffee. I stole discreet glances as she went about making a thick syrup out of what I assumed was the Eksir berries. She allowed the liquid to cool while she delicately sipped at her coffee. Once it was ready, she carefully painted it onto every last one of her arrow heads until the whole quiver was laced with the strange substance. She then began to coat Balthier's ammunition. My curiosity bubbled over and I shuffled forward so that I was knelt beside her.

"What is that stuff?" I wrinkled my nose at its pungent smell. It smelt like perfume when it had aged and gone sour.

"Toxin. Primed from the sap of the Eksir berries."

"Oh.. and why are you coating your ammo with it?"

"The Garuda is a fiend of the skies. Wounded only can she be by arsenal such as my own. Once fouled by the toxin, her body will soon falter and fail her. 'Tis the only way she shall be ended." I nodded and continued to watch her.

With the ammunition all coated in the deadly poison, there was still a fair deal of the brew left. Fran then went about carefully crafting small balloons out of the intestine of a large toad we had encountered a few days ago (when she had harvest it I had assumed she would want to sell it to a tradesmen or even a sundries shop like Migelo's). The thick elastic-like membrane was perfect for holding in gooey liquid. She then went about filling each one with the poison and then expertly sealed them to create something that wasn't a far stretch from a water bomb. It went without saying, Fran wasn't only a skilful warrior but she had a flair for resourcefulness.

* * *

We once again set off along the Nam-Yensa. I was growing tired of this landscape. As exotic as it was, the heat, the sand and the sun were grating down my energy levels. Not to mention I was in desperate need of a bath. My hair was beginning to grow lank and so I had tightly coiled it up into a bun and secured it with my hair pin. My skin was coated in dust from the desert and dried blood of both fiends and my companions. In short, I looked a mess.

The morning passed pretty much like the previous days we had spent travelling: hiking, battling, resting, Vaan whining, Basch trying his hardest to teach me how to use my spear, and of course, Balthier spewing out that charm of his. After this tedious and exhausting routine played out we finally reached our destination, the tomb of King Raithwall.

It was yet another impressive sight of Ivalice. The grand tomb was actually set in the ground. The earth had been up heaved in a perfect, gargantuan rectangle, like an empty grave. The structure itself was of the same Galtean style that Rabanastre's palace owned, its design conveyed in dark, smooth stone. It was both beautiful and eerie and as we paced towards the looming, silent structure I could feel the hairs on my neck begin to crackle and rise. The lull that surrounded us was tinged with danger. There was something most supernatural lurking in wait for us in that tomb.

I drifted to a stop, still gazing up at the tomb. I wasn't sure I wanted to go in there. As I was toying with the idea of staying in the sunshine, I noticed Vaan veer off from the group to one of the large stone pillars. Naturally, Penelo shadowed him, wondering what he was up to. As I approached I suddenly noticed what had grasped his attention, a scattering of brittle bones. I stood beside Penelo, my eyes flitting back and forth between a ribcage and a skull. My stomach flipped warningly, they were bones of a Hume. Unfazed by the smell and sight before him, Vaan crouched and plucked something from what I assumed had once been a hand. He held it up and eyeballed it will interest. It was a gold ring with a sizable ruby nestled in its gold clasp. After a few moments of scrutiny he slipped it on his own finger.

"Vaan! You put that back!" Penelo demanded.

"What? It's not like he's gonna need it." He shrugged and straightened up.

"You can't wear a dead man's ring! It's disrespectful!" She chirped and snatched at his wrist. He quickly squirmed free from her grip and duck back to a safer distance.

"I'm only gonna wear it until we find another trader I can sell it to."

"That's even worse!"

"I'd have to agree with your girl there, Vaan. Stealing is quite the art form and once again you've keenly confirmed your novice ways. There's no skill in stealing from the dead, not to mention it brings no fortune but mere ill-fate. Best you return it to its owner."

"No! I'm keeping it." Vaan said testily, clearly annoyed by Balthier's dig.

"On your head be it." Balthier shrugged and turned to walk away.

Vaan's aforementioned bad luck came quick as, as soon as Penelo stalked off tutting in disapproval, I felt a fierce rush of air whirl past me. It kicked up the sand and I quickly threw my hands up to protect my eyes. I squinted through the cloud of airborne dirt to try and see what the cause of this was. It was the Garuda. Swords drawn and arrows and ammo ready we quickly set into our battle positions.

The Garuda was huge, its wing span alone was impressive enough for me to seek cover every time it swooped low to try and snap one of us up. Its feathers were such a striking mix of creams, reds and pinks it was almost a shame we had to slay the monster, it seemed a waste. Either way I wasn't going to protest, it wanted us dead just as equally.

Fran handed me a string of her homemade poison bombs and I took this as a prompt to quit daydreaming and start fighting. I watched with darting eyes, waiting for the right moment to throw the makeshift ammunition. I couldn't really imagine just how Fran and Balthier managed to cope with all this patience and precision nonsense in battle as it made me even more antsy than usual. It probably wasn't helping that there was a part of me was convinced that I would miss.

The Garuda dipped and swooped low. Balthier's pistol rattled off a deafening shot and Fran fired countless arrows, every one of them hitting the great bird. The rest of the party threw the poison bombs or conjured powerful magicks. Despite the Garuda being pummelled by the Eksir berry toxin it hardly did much to slow the fiend's advances. It swerved throughout the pillars and came to once again to snap at us. I hit the dirt just in time as I could have sworn I felt those gigantic feathers brush the top of my head. I quickly attempted to haul myself up to my feet once more. I only had one poison bomb left I prayed it would hit-

"Edie look out!" I heard Penelo yelp.

"Huh?" I dumbly turned to look round and came face to face with a wall of feathers. It crashed against me in blow so hard I could have sworn I had been pounded into a brick wall. The blow thumped the air out of my lungs and I slammed back onto the hot, desert sand. It promptly went black after that.

* * *

I awoke with a cough and a splutter and with a very sour taste in my mouth. I was still sprawled out on the sands. I waited a second or two for the surge of pain that would surely ravage me yet it never came. In fact, I felt fine. I sat up and saw Penelo knelt beside me, an empty vial still clutched in her hands and her face set into a concerned stare. I bet it had been a Phoenix Down that had breathed life into me.

"You okay?" She asked.

I quickly glanced round to see the once great Garuda smeared over the ground, those great big colourful feathers littering the sands like fallen leaves. I guess I had missed most of the battle. I nodded, my eyes still stuck onto the dead fiend. How long had I been unconscious? I huffed out a big sigh. With Basch teaching me, I was supposed to be improving in battle not getting knocked out in the first five minutes! My body may not have been bruised but my confidence sure had taken a battering. Luckily, Balthier was too preoccupied with taunting Vaan to bother with me.

"Dare I say I told you so?" I heard him say to Vaan in a smug tone as I pulled myself up to my feet.

"Okay, okay! I'll give it back." Muttered the young thief and he traipsed off to return the ring back to the scattering of bones.

I picked up the medic bag and once more slung it over my shoulder. Once in place, I checked to see if any of its contents had been damaged when I had got wing whipped. Everything was in a good enough condition.

"We have wasted time enough. Onwards." Ashe said and marched off towards the stretch of stone steps that led to the tomb's mammoth doorway.

As we were halfway up the stairs rise I heard Vaan mumble,

"Who was this Raithwall anyway?"

Ashe paused causing all of us to stop. It was clear there were only two possible outcomes for her response, scold Vaan for being so ignorant or explain just who the dead king was. To my surprise she did the latter.

"Long ago, the gods granted their favour to King Raithwall who would oversee the subjugation of a territory spanning from Ordalia to Valendia. Here he forged the Galtean Alliance. Though he is called the Dynast-King upon establishing the Alliance, he showed compassion for his people, and disdain for needless war. A philosophy passed on to his successors. One that would bring peace and prosperity for hundreds of years to follow.

It was during this time of peace that the city-states of Archadia and Rozarria, each members of Raithwall's Alliance, took root and flourished. Raithwall left three relics signifying descent from the Dynast-King. Of these, the Midlight Shard was given to what would become House Nabradia and the Dust Shard to my ancestors, the founders of Dalmasca. The last of these relics was the Dawn Shard. It remained hidden here, Know only by those of royal blood."

"As though the Dynast-King foresaw the very plight before us now." Vossler mused.

I suppose it was only sensible that the Raithwall had a plan B for his successors. It was now clear that Ashe's knowledge of the whole legend hadn't been learnt purely out of interest of her ancestral roots. I imagine all royals had to be taught this story in case of situations such as the one we were all enduring at the moment.

"None save the descendants of the king are suffered within. If we enter without proof of such lineage-"

"There's no guarantee we'll make it out alive." Said Balthier, who had had his back turned throughout the whole history lesson, clearly uninterested in Raithwall's feat. He turned and cocked his head. "Vicious beasts. Fiendish traps. Something like that?"

A small smile grew on Ashe's lips.

"But you must consider the prize. The Dawn Shard lies within and Raithwall's treasure."

"And there was I thinking this was going to be hard!" He smirked and began ascending the steps.

Beyond the doorway of the tomb was a strange device that had a large and decorative glyph etched on the stone around it.

"A means of entering the tomb." Ashe explained as she approached it.

As she stepped on to the detailed pattern on the floor, the stone staff that was nestled in the centre suddenly illuminated as if awoken. Its soft glow was almost enticing, if it weren't for my rising nerves I would have approached it like a moth to a flame. One by one our group went to go and join Ashe on the glyph. I was the last one to step onto it as I was still most uneasy about that strange stillness that hung about the air. Ashe raised her hand and pressed her palm on top of the glowing staff. The soft glow soon transformed into a harsh glare this was followed by a rushing of cool, stale air and then a very different scenery swung into view.

I staggered off the teleportation device feeling as though I had just come off a very vicious fairground rollercoaster.

"What was that thing?" Vaan asked sounding as queasy as I felt.

"A contraption you'd find in all but the most rudimentary ancient ruin. One touch and off you're whisked to you know not where. The finer points of their operation elude me, but they're handy all the same. What more need a sky pirate to know?"

"I hope there aren't any more of them." I grumbled.

"A tomb this grand I'm betting there are several, it is after all fit for a King. Having second thoughts are we?"

"Well I guess I'm not an experience tomb robber like you, Balthier."

"You could always await our return outside. This little expedition may indeed go smoother without your expertises." Despite his jibe I was seriously considering in staying behind until he said, "Though that Garuda was quite the kill, I dare say it wouldn't be long before it is overrun with all manner desert riffraff."

"I think I'll stick with Penelo." I mumbled and went to go join my friend.

Once my stomach had finally settled I looked around to see we were in the belly of the tomb. Its dark stone chamber was lit by the glow of many torches. The air was dusty and stale and that prickling silence somehow felt even stronger down here. My eyes soon noticed the Mist which was flowing about the chamber. Its movements only stressed that this wasn't a place we should linger in. It no longer flowed in a serene and dreamy manner it had when out in the desert, instead it was erratic and fast-flowing as if it too were searching for a way back to the surface.

I followed the others as they descended a small flight of steps that led to a walkway which was framed by torches of fire. How could they not feel uneasy about this place? I paced alongside Penelo as we made for the large doors that were the room's only exit. Fran suddenly snapped her head round to stare back along the walkway, which only jolted my pulse up a gear. She sensed something was up and by now I was certain she was always right. I turned in time to see the large decorative wall moulding of a foul sword slinging beast burst to life in an eruption of crumbling stone and dust. It bellowed an earth rumbling roar and with the many insect like legs it had scuttling into action it began to rush towards us with impressive speed.

"Fight or run, we better decide fast." Vaan said, his hand hovering at the hilt of his sword.

"Run!" I yelped and quickly tore along the stone floor towards the ornate doors.

"For once I actually concur." I heard Balthier say behind my back.

It took the whole of our group to shove open the heavy stone doors and once we had passed though them, they promptly slammed shut behind us, leaving us shrouded in the dim. I gulped at the musty air. That short, frantic sprint had my heart rocketing around in my chest. I quickly recalled Basch's lesson of keeping my nerves under wraps when faced with an unanticipated attack. It was easier said than done when you were faced with a stone monstrosity bearing down at you, swords and fangs at the ready. I took deep breaths and reassured myself that it was over and that next time I would approach battle with a cooler head.

The dark was suddenly splattered with bursts of light as countless fire torches spluttered to life. There at the very end of an almost identical walkway was a similar stone demon expect, unsurprisingly, this one was twice the size of its kin. In a rupture of rock and a rumble of earth it began to hustle towards us. I guess now was another chance for me to manage my nerves.

"The wall comes. We must be quick! Together we can bring it down!" Fran shouted her bow already flinging an arrow at the demon wall.

There was nowhere to flee from this fight, it was fight or die. I drew my spear and once more rattled off some of black magicks in hope I might cause the overgrown brick some damage. As usual Vossler, Ashe, Basch and Vaan led the assault, attacking tirelessly with their swords. I kept a worried eye on them as it would only take a swipe of the wall's sword or a swift kick from those spider-like legs to knock one of them to the grown. So in between my own arsenal of magick attacks, I dashed to and fro from the backline to the line of attack dishing out potions and curative spells as I went.

Then something strange happened. There was a cry out from both of the knights who were suddenly acting like a human barrier before Ashe. I darted towards them and noticed that Ashe's stance was very peculiar. She held her sword firmly in both hands over her head as if ready to deal a might blow yet she didn't move an inch from this position.

"What the..?" I gasped taking in Ashe's motionless form.

"The wall, it has bound her body with a spell. She cannot move! You must free her of it and quickly!" Vossler barked as his sword clashed deafeningly with the wall's own weapon.

I nodded and rummaged around in the medic kit. What would undo this sort of spell? A remedy? I mentally slapped myself how the hell would she be able to take the damn remedy if her lips were locked tight? I quickly mentally scanned my collection of curative magicks. An Esuna would have to do. It was a spell that would wipe away nasty aliments in heartbeat. I summoned the Mist and cast the magick upon the frozen princess and awaited her recovery. It didn't come. Panic clawed at my mind.

"It's not working!" I shouted, stepping forward so that I was side by side with Vossler so he could hear me over the feral roar of the demon wall.

In retrospect it was a very dumb manoeuvre as the mammoth wall swiftly realised there was an easier target to be had. A tentacle made of crumbling stone shot out from the row of marching legs and seized my forearm. I yelped and attempted to tug back and away from the raging beast. Its grip didn't falter and another stone limb whipped itself around my leg. I used my free arm to aim my spear and desperately attempted to stab any part of the wall I could. The next feeler that seized me did so around my neck. With the wall confident it had a strong grip on its prey it reeled me in like a fish on a line. I squirmed and squeaked in protest as I was dragged closer and closer towards the demon wall and its fangs and-

I stumbled forward and skidded to a halt. I whipped round in every direction desperate to find the threat before it found me yet there was nothing. My eyes flitted nervously around the gloom. There was nothing. I was in a very long, very dim stone corridor.

"What.. the.. fuck?" I whispered in staggered breaths.

It was cold down here, so much so my breath came out in pallid plumes of condensation. "Where am I?" I tried to ignore the fright that had crept into my voice and once more dragged my eyes over my surroundings. The corridor looked very in keeping with the tomb's ornamental decor so I still had to be somewhere inside it. I guess the wall wasn't looking to kill, just to cast off the unworthy into the bowels of the tomb, further away from Raithwall's treasure.

An irritable sigh was pushed from my lips. I glanced at my spear with lay beside my foot. Something went snap somewhere in the rational part of my mind. With gritted teeth I snatched up my weapon and held it in a fury tight grip_. Why was I so crap in battle?_ I mentally screamed and thrust the spear down into the ground with all my rage. The spearhead sliced the cobbled floor so deep that when I wrenched my hands off its bamboo pole to claw at my hair in frustration it stood perfectly upright on its own accord. A growl of annoyance rattled from my chest. Great, now it was stuck! I attempted to pull it from the ground but it didn't budge an inch, causing another feral noise to be emitted from me. Good job no one was here to witness my pathetic display.

As if the gods willed misfortunate upon me, a sound distracted me from my meltdown. It was the whoosh of air being swilled round and then the sound of someone stumbling to a stop behind me. I peered over my shoulder wondering who had been as unlucky as I had. It was my mentor.

"Basch? It got you too?" I said turning to face him. He was looking around the place, with a mild look of bewilderment about him.

"Aye. I misapprehended its skill. It would seem this be the price I pay." He grunted still surveying the corridor. Yep, it was punishment enough being stuck god knows where with the likes of me, warrior newbie. He finally turned to regard me and quickly noticed my spear biting the cobbles. He strode over to it and in one swift snatch, pulled it effortlessly from the ground and handed it to me. "Never part from your weapon in unknown terrain." He approached a torch that was mounted to the dark stone and seized it.

"Right." I nodded with a heavy head.

We set off walking, fire touches in hand and discovered that the corridor actually panned out into what seemed to be a maze. With the gloom and the threatening silence I was praying that this maze didn't have a Minotaur at its heart. As we wordlessly tried to figure up from down my eyes caught a glimpse of something very familiar. The Mist. It's fast paced flow would surely lead us to the exit, just as it had in the Barhiem Passageway.

"This way." I said making to turn into one of the many possible paths that veered off from the one we were currently walking down.

"You are certain?"

"Erm.. Yeah." I nodded.

"Very well." Was his response. Somehow he didn't seem convinced by my certainty.

We set off along a different root, the Mist our guide. As expected we both hiked in silence, it was often hard to make conversation with someone like Basch. After an hour or so of many twists and turns along the silent maze we finally came to a large archway which was the maze's exit. It revealed a grand and seemingly never-ending stone stairway no doubt leading up and out, out from this trap.

"Impressive. You faltered naught once in navigating this labyrinth."

"I'm just good at puzzles." I laughed nervously and waved off his compliment with a gesture of my hand. Basch was also another person who I was positive could sniff out a lie. He had already caught me with stolen goods hidden behind my back at the Marquis' estate.

"It were as you were guided." He said, as we started to ascend the mountainous stairway.

"Yeah, well, we all have our gifts, right?" I shrugged and then began to trudge up the steps.

The stairway was worse than the maze. It stretched out in an interminable rise, often curving around hefty pillars of carved stone. A sharp ache soon gnawed at my legs its pain building with every step I cleared. Basch being a military man probably wasn't experiencing such signs of weakness and marched onwards regardless. He was too preoccupied with being reunited with his princess. I wondered if she was still frozen to the spot.

"Can we.. rest?" I puffed, slumping slightly.

Basch stopped and turned. He was a few steps higher than me. He nodded and I crumpled down to the step I was stood on. I shrugged off the supply bag that was strapped to my back and pulled out a flask of water. After a few generous gulps, I offered it to Basch as he took a seat beside me. He accepted it with thanks.

As my tired body and frazzled mind relished in the rest it was being given, I absentmindedly twirled the bamboo pole of my spear. It caused the charm Penelo had crafted to sway in a lazy dance. I ceased my movements to observe it continuing to swing back and forth.

"You had seemed angered when I had come across you before." Basch said.

He had clearly mistaken my daydreaming for pensiveness. I almost smirked, it wasn't even a question yet I could tell he was interested in an answer. Although I was positive he already knew what was bugging me. He may not have Balthier's cunning yet Basch by all means was no simpleton.

"This." I said in a disgruntled sigh shaking the spear as indication. The charm's dance became more passionate. "I'm still no better at fighting. In fact, I'm _that_ bad I that I got sucked into the twilight zone by a jumped-up pile of rubble!"

"Then by that reasoning I too did fail in battle."

"N-no I didn't mean it like that.." I trailed off thinking about what he had said. I suppose he was right, if a Knight of the old Order was bested by the demon wall what chance had I stood?

"Patience be paramount in training."

"I guess so... It's just there's something.. something bad waiting for us in this tomb, Basch and I want to be ready when we have to face it."

I even felt uneasy talking about that horrible lurking threat. The chill in the air suddenly became more noticeable. Although I was sure it was just my wired imagination that made it menacing, it didn't stop me from attempting to rub the goosebumps out of my skin. I wondered if he could feel its presence also. He rose his feet.

"And face it we shall together. Harbour not concern nor doubt, only strength will see you through." He began to once more ascend the tireless stretch of steps.

A smile played at my lips. He may not be able to hold his own in a social situation yet Basch's unblinking determination was something I desired to have as my own. Grit like his was the only way I could see myself getting out of Ivalice. I tugged on my supply pack, snatch up my spear, jumped to my feet and went to go catch up with him.

When we eventually came to the top of the stairs, we were presented with yet another problem. The only way out was a wrought iron cellar door above our heads. Of course it was impossible to reach even if we jumped. It bitterly defeated the object of having a mountain of stairs to climb only to stop a few steps short of freedom.

"How are we going to get up there?" I asked, gazing up, a hand shielding my eyes from the curtain of natural light that filtered through the iron gate's design.

Basch discarded his torch, drew his broadsword and buried half of its blade into the stone wall. With the sword anchored into the wall at chest height, Basch backed up and swiftly performed a running jump. Once he was on his make-shift stepping stone, he repositioned his weight in that of a microsecond and pounced yet again. He successfully grasped the wrought iron gate and hung there for a moment or two studying its form. He moved one armed and reached forward to undo the gate's clasp. It swung open and down with Basch still clung to it. I gasped certain he would fall but he was unfazed and held tight to the metal bars. He then proceeded to haul himself up and out of the dungeon. I had to admit it was a display that would have impressed the likes of Lara Croft. Basch should perhaps try his hand at free running, he'd be very good at it.

"Erm, I hope you're not expecting me to do the same!" I shouted up at him.

He was too busy surveying his new surroundings. Once content there was no immediate threat he peered down at me and said,

"In the supply pack. There ought be a length of rope."

"Of course!" I dumped the backpack on the grown and began pulling all manner of goods out of it in search for a bound length or coarse rope. Typically, it was at the bottom of the pack. Once I have shoved everything back in, I slung the pack on my back and began to unravel the rope. "Ready? Catch!" I threw one end upwards yet it didn't travel high enough for Basch to swipe at. It took three more measly attempts. With the rope in hand he looked around again, he was probably looking for somewhere to secure the rope. There seemed to be nowhere fitting enough and so he resorted to tidying his end of the rope around his waist. I suppose thanks to his recent muscle gain, he was now defiantly heavier than I was. "Wait! what about your sword?"

I abandoned my end of the rope and went over to it. I gripped the handle with both hands as tight as I could muster and attempted to yank it out of the wall. It didn't budge. I attempted again even using my foot on the wall as extra leverage yet it still held fast.

"It matters not. I will find another." He called down to me.

I returned back to the rope and attempted to haul myself up it. I had never been good at climbing rope in gym and only managed to get a couple of feet off the ground be losing my grip and sliding back down. I spat a string of curses as I waved my hands about to relieve them of the rope burn that stung my palms. After a few more attempts, Basch was growing tired of my failure.

"Hold fast to the rope. I will pull you up."

I did as he instructed and he began to haul me up. He wound the rope around his shoulder as he did so. With each tug the rope swayed a little. As I neared the lip of the gate Basch gave one last might pull, which hauled me up and caused me to slam straight into him, knocking us both to the ground.

It would seem we were both too knackered to notice our improper proximity as we merely lay there desperately trying to recover our breath. As the attention to my stinging hands and ache pounded limbs waned, I actually realised it wasn't just my own rapid heartbeat that I could feel and hear thrashing around my body. My head was on Basch's chest.

Tired or not, I quickly snapped up from being sprawled over him but as I quickly pulled myself up on all fours my widened eyes met his and I froze. It was clear he was as equally uncomfortable with having me laid across him. My mind spluttered for an apology but my tongue was suddenly too slow and heavy to speak it. I could feel a blush claw at my cheeks.

Our shocked staring competition was interrupted by the sound of steady footsteps followed by a smooth voice.

"Pardon for intruding on your student/mentor bonding practice but Her Highness grows ever impatient."

I whipped my head round to see it was of course, Balthier. I scrambled up from Basch, my breathing still ragged and willed that stupid blush away from my face. I don't think I was faring well in doing so as the sky-pirate's smug smile lengthened slightly.

"I fell." I muttered as Basch got to his feet.

"Good to see the Captain broke your fall." Was all Balthier said as he led the way out of the chamber and back to our group.

I daren't look at Basch. This was worse than the sunburn incident!

* * *

Ha! I hated when the Demon Wall would throw party members off into the _X Zone_ in the game. It was always Basch too! :P


	23. Chapter XXIII

Author's Note

Thank you so much for your reviews! Whilst writing this chapter I finally reached over 100 pages in my mircosoft word document! I don't think I've ever written so much or enjoyed writing this much before.

**09/08/11 Edit:**

This chapter has been reread and edited in order to improve it. I write this fanfiction not only as my own means of escapism but for you guys too so if there is ever anything that strikes you as wrong (as Bluebear kindly pointed out in their review) I would like to know, after all I still want this to be an enjoyable read! Also ZodiarSavior, I know it's a pain in the butt waiting for me to update and I promise I will try to keep on top of my writing but seems as my work is seasonal I work crazy hours to make enough money to living comfortably over the winter. I do want to write more frequently, even if it's just a few lines a day so it can keep me familiar with FFXII's characters and my own OCs.

And finally, Katreda, I have seen some interesting FFXII cosplays online (yet another of my guilty pleasures) and especially like it when girls are creative and brave enough to do Fran cosplays. Hope you have fun at FanExpo! As for the future plot, I can only say things will start to come to light when the group reach Mt. Omisace. I can tell you that this fanfiction won't just end at the end of the game's storyline, there will be plenty of unfinished business for Edie to complete (I did warn people this was going to be a _long_ fanfiction! :P)

As always I just want to thank everyone for their reviews and for adding this to either their alerts or favourites!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXIII: Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins. **

We came back to what seemed to be the main chamber where the rest of our group were waiting. By this time, the red tinge had faded from my cheeks and I although I was still mortified, I was thankful to be back in the company of my friends and fellow travellers.

"Basch! Edie!" Penelo ran up to us and threw her arms around me in a tight embrace. "Are you alright?" She said holding me at arm's length, probably checking for injuries.

"I'm fine." I nodded.

"Yes no need for fret, the captain was taking good care of her." Smiled Balthier.

I shot him a tight stare. His smirk bloomed a little more. He paced past and joined Fran who was looking out at the vast hall that was dimly lit with burning torches and lanterns. Their glow revealed many walkways, stairs and archways, all intricately jumbled together. It was as if MC Esher had designed the dead King's tomb.

As I answered Penelo's questions on just where I had been flung off to in the middle of the fight, I couldn't help but overhear Vossler speaking to the Princess. I glanced over to them, my eyes flitting over the young woman. I guess the spell that had ensnared her body must have broken when the demon wall crumbled.

"It wounds me to look on as they pillage such solemn a place." He said, regarding the sky-pirates with a dark glare.

"Yet without help, you and I are nothing. Is this not so?" She turned her head from her knight to glance over at Balthier, "He thinks ever and always on his own profit. Assure him of it and he shall remain true to our cause."

Seems I wasn't the only one who had notice that dangling treasure in front of Balthier was much like dandling a carrot in front of a donkey, it got the job done.

"I do not share your Majesty's trust."

"We will continue this later." Ashe dismissed her servant's growing nerves. She was probably growing tired of his qualms or perhaps she knew our eager ears were listening in on their conversation. "Now we concern ourselves with finding the Dawn Shard. It sleeps in waiting, somewhere deep within."

"How can you be certain?"

"I can hear its call." She said softly, before making her way dreamily down the steps to a platform where another one of those transportation devices dwelled.

* * *

The way stone whirled us further away from the tomb's exit. Deeper in the tomb's bowels, there were many puzzles to solve in order for yet another teleport to be stirred to life. It involved us trekking along the winding walkways which were home for all manner of fiends that chose to dwell in the dank, dark surroundings. After many hours of battling, hiking and riddle resolving, the glyph finally began to radiate its unnatural glow.

"Can we rest first?" I still didn't like the idea we were willing travelling closer and closer to the lurking threat that was coiled and waiting.

"You may rest only when the Dawn Shard is nestled in my hands." Ashe said approaching the way stone.

I inwardly sighed. I guess I should have seen her answer coming from her determined demeanour. To be honest I wasn't all that tired, it was the churning nerves within me that had spurred me on to posed my request. I couldn't explain why I was suddenly so apprehensive of stumbling across the unseen ominous threat that was down here somewhere. I put it down to the fact that I was still reeling somewhat from being so easily cast off by the demon wall earlier. I quelled my pestering nerves and joined the others on the glyph.

The first thing that I noticed was the sudden change in the Mist. Only swirls of gold and amber could be seen as it churned and swirled around us. It was so thick that it would reflect glimpses of us and our surroundings like shards from a mirror. I reached out to brush my fanned out fingers against its glow and watched as it instantly began to entwine around my hand, as a snake would its prey. It moved about the air as if it couldn't blend into that stifling silence, as if it were resilient and resistant, just like an oil slick on water.

"Fog? underground?" Penelo mused as she joined my side.

I glanced at her and attempted to keep the shock from taking form on my features. Penelo could see this, she could see the Mist. I watched her as her eyes traced the flow of the Mist, taking in its barely there hues. How was it possible?

"Not Fog- Mist." Said Fran as she paced towards us.

"You can see the Mist? With your eyes?" Penelo's tone was thick with surprise.

"Where it is thick enough, you may. The nether runs deep in this place."

"So, is the Mist dangerous?"

"Yes, but it is also an aid. A dense Mist allows the working of powerful magicks."

Why did I have an inkling laced with anxiousness that it wasn't just our own spells that intensity could increase? I decided not to voice my worry. It was clear Ashe had grown tired of it and I didn't want Fran to become weary with me also.

"I'll keep that in mind." Said Penelo with a thankful smile. She then glanced over at Vaan who was stood chatting with Ashe and Vossler, from the looks of their mannerisms it was nothing more than light-hearted banter they were engrossed in. "Can't count on Vaan to keep track of these things. That's for sure." She crossed her arms over her chest, her smile now a smirk as her eyes watched Vaan's enthusiastic chatter.

Another prompt from the princess and we walked onwards. The twisting and hazardous walkways soon gave way to another grand hall. The detail of the stone carvings here were so wonderfully complex and crafted with such a steady hand that I gave into my urge and ghosted a hand along their design. The stone beneath my fingers was cold and surprisingly dry. My eyes drifted over the tale they depicted as I wandered along. I stopped to a sudden halt when a carving of a mighty beast took up a vast amount of the wall. I quickly snapped my hand back with a muffled gasp and stepped back a few steps so I could fully take in the artwork. A giant with the horns of a ram and multiple arms and legs brandished a sturdy looking weapon, a grand spear or perhaps a long poled hammer. I knew from past experience walls here had a habit of coming to life in the blink of an eye.

"Edie?" Penelo's hand lightly gripped my shoulder. Despite her gentle touch it still gave me a start. I sucked in a nip of air suddenly not keen on just how warm it was becoming down here. "What is it?"

"Nothing. The carving.. it made me jump. I thought it was going to be another demon wall." I lied when really the truth was I had come across the very evil that had been lurking in wait for us since we set foot in this sacred place. Fran noticed my nerves and turned to survey the stonework.

"We be near. That door will take us to the Dawn Shard." Ashe said. Her words didn't distract Fran's concentration to the wall.

"A Gigas." The Viera spoke softly, her smooth voice rolling the words over her tongue in an unhurried manner as if she were locked deep in thought.

"A what?" My tone came out in the same muted manner.

Before she could even answer my question, the soft luminance of the torches was drowned by the blinding blaze of powerful bursts of flames shooting up along the fringes of the chamber. The air became unbearably hot and dry as it whirled and whipped about us. Embers from the wooden torches swirled around the air and I instinctively shielded my face with my arms and hands. What was happening? Had the tomb spontaneously combust as a means of keeping the Dawn Shard from thieving hands? I hissed as crumbling hot stone and cinder rained against my forearms and the hot air scorched my lungs as I took panicked snatches of the searing air. If this kept up we would be burnt alive!

The hall's surroundings suddenly returned back to their habitual ambience. I crumbled to my knees and sagged forward, the only thing stopping me from fully hitting the stone floor were my outstretched arms, which twitched in effort to keep my face from merging with the tiles. Panting heavily, I allowed my lungs to be filled with the soothing, cool air and tried to ignore the burning sting that was coursing up and down my arms. Unable to do nothing else in my frazzled state, I watched as a fat drop of sweat fell from the tip of my nose onto the tiles below, leaving a small but perfect dark circle. The loud sound of foots steps rattled around my head as my wind battered ears attempted to identify their owner.

"Your energy is near spent. Be still." Fran was knelt at my side.

I slowly turned my head to the side to see she was just as battered and burnt as I was. How the hell could she still stand? She quickly outstretched her hand and willed the Mist to cure me. Any average cure spell is always accompanied with the same senses of euphoria and vigour but the magick that weaved around me curing my spent form was far more effective. It was like a buckshot of energy and strength had been fired into my ebbing soul. I jolted up to my feet anew and ready to continue. If the cure spell had been intensified by the dense Mist I was curious to know what effect it would have on my own magicks. My enthusiasm was short lived when I clasped eyes on the very reason the room have caught alight all of a sudden. It was to mark the entrance of the Gigas.

We quickly regrouped, all of us hesitant due to being uncertain just how we would be able to get past the towering beast. It was so large its head nearly brushed the hall's decorative ceiling.

"We'd be foolish to think we could defeat such a foe." Vossler said, his eyes still darting over the giant.

"Yet we must. I see no other way." Ashe insisted her hand hovering at the hilt of her sword.

"You may be willing to throw your life away over such folly yet I don't share your enthusiasm." Balthier said.

"Coward! What of your treasure?" Ashe snapped.

"Hmph. I didn't say I would abandon all cause, Highness. We may not be able to bring this fiend to its knees but we can hold him at bay for you and your noble cause." He stated, casually whilst loading two shots in his pistol.

"That be sense. Majesty, fight not, we will raise our swords for you." Basch stepped forward. Ashe's eyes flickered from the sky-pirate to the knight.

"Erm, guys?" Vaan nervous tone snapped her back to the now and she gave a brisk nod.

"Very well. Keep the Gigas at bay and I shall go forth and claim the Dawn Shard." She drew her sword and turned to face the looming creature, which was drawing closer with each earth rattling step.

Vossler spurred forward in attack, Ashe waited patiently for her opportune moment to slip past unnoticed. The rest of us drew our weapons and fell back into our usual positions.

"Vaan! When the time is nigh, accompany Ashe, see to it she is safe!" Basch barked to boy who was up ahead, charging into battle. The knight then swiftly turned and headed back towards the backline. It was then I remembered he was without a weapon.

"Take my spear!" I said as he neared us, holding it out in offering. I had lent him it before and thanks to my magick casting abilities being somewhat greater than my physical attack it made more sense to stick to them for this fight. Now was defiantly not the time for me to indulge in testing my rookie skills and barely there pluck, best leave that one to the experts.

"I have no need for it." He said as he passed me and hurriedly continued to the back of the hall.

I turned and watched him as he approached a large statue which owned many limbs, much like the demon wall. In one of its stone hands it clasped a hefty looking war hammer. With an impressive amount of might he wrenched it free from the figure with a heavy grunt, crumbling stone pattered onto the floor as he did so.

"The knight- strengthen his defence." Fran said to me, her voice a prompt for me to actually engage in the fight instead of merely observing.

I turned to see Vossler and Vaan attempting to shift the Gigas to the west side of the hall, so there was more of a chance for Ashe to dash past. The knight was taking quite the beating. I quickly arranged both my body and my mind to cast the spell. Calling forth the Mist was far quicker when it was thicker and in the blink of an eye the magick was cast upon Vossler, an invisible shield that would absorb a lot of the attack.

The Gigas, annoyed by my trick, raised his weapon high and brought it down with speed. Protective magick or no there was very little chance any man could survive such a blow. Yet just as the Giga's weapon was about to crush Vossler, Basch who had return from acquiring his new weapon, charged forward and swung his hammer at the beast's broad hand. It caused the spear's head to miss its target and sink into the stone floor instead. I blinked in disbelief. It was an impressive display of strength, I half expected the monster before him to be acknowledge it also.

The three fighters quickly set about unleashing a never-ending attack on their foe, giving it very little time to pluck its weapon from the ground. The rest of us dished out assault and aid from the backline, raining down arrows, bullets and magicks upon the strong fiend. I would only stop flinging countless water spells to quickly renew any of my protection spells that had faded or weakened.

The Gigas snarled in frustration as the three Humes were slowly gaining ground. Before long, they had finally succeeded; they had pushed him back far enough for passage to be safe.

"Now! Go!" Balthier shouted to the princess who had been stood all the while in the backline, sword drawn and ready to run. She took off towards the doors, tearing across the stone floor in quick, light footsteps like a hare despite to get back to its burrow.

"Vaan!" Penelo yelled, a signal that Ashe was attempting to pass. He quickly abandoned his assault and ran with her, effortlessly keeping pace with her swift steps.

"This had best work." Balthier muttered before firing his pistol.

I paused in casting magicks to watch as the two teenagers dashed across the stretch of the hall. I was geared up to cast any spell I could to protect them if the monster caught wind of them and just what they were doing. However, it seemed the Gigas could only concentrate on attempting to destroy the two knights who were causing him grief.

It roared with rage and instead of swinging its outsized weapon or arms at them, it cast a very powerful fire magick. The whole chamber once more became an inferno. I choked and coughed as I desperately attempted to fling a few water spells out to douse the fierce flames. As they dwindled to some extent, I peered through the blur of heat to see Ashe and Vaan had finally managed to reach the doors that led to the Dawn Shard.

"They made it!" I said, my voice worn and rough from the heat.

"That's no cause for celebration nor for you to stop. I'm not holding this beast back singly." Balthier snapped. "Damn knights! Move or you will acquire my shots! Amatures!"

I would have found his annoyance amusing if it weren't for the situation we were in. How egotistical was he to think that it was merely him keeping the Gigas from noticing the Princess had snuck past? Nonetheless, I complied and began to once more rattle off black magicks and the occasional cure spell when it was needed. My eyes often darted back to the doors looking to see if Ashe and Vaan were still alright and if they had managed to get in. From the looks of it, the door wasn't opening. What happens if the only way to break the door's seal was to slay the Gigas?

My flickering thoughts were suddenly stilled as the Gigas had managed to successfully deal a deadly blow to one of the knights. The beast's gargantuan hand sent Basch skittering across the floor and he finally came to a stop at an impressive distance away, near to where we stood. Along his travel across the ground he had left a long trail of gore. The smear of his blood glistened dully in the light of the deteriorating flames. I gasped and dashed towards him, Penelo close beside me. He was laying unmoving on his side, his hammer still in hand.

"Shit! Look at the state of him." I said as I gingerly turned him so that he lay on his back.

It revealed the extent of his injuries. Most of the skin on his left arm, cheek and side had been rubbed away by the stone floor. The armour that had adored his shoulder had crumpled like tin foil. I willed my stomach to settle as I continued to check him over. The skinned arm also was set at an unnatural angle giving me the impression the bone had broken somewhere, probably at his shoulder. A rapidly forming bruise was beginning to show on his right side of his face. The Gigas had probably hit him on this side and as he was sent flying through the air he had twisted and landed on his left shoulder. The only good thing about Basch's current condition was that he wasn't conscious right now as I was positive the pain would be maddening.

"He's in a bad way. This might take some time." I said to Penelo who was stood at my side, her attention to the enemy.

"Okay. I'll cast magicks. Vossler needs help." She quickly fired off a string of water spells upon the Gigas.

The curative magick did little to diminish the nasty wounds.

"Ugh! It isn't working well enough." I growled, annoyed that my supposedly more potent than normal magicks weren't making much of a difference to his extensive injuries. He didn't look to have much time left in him. I decided to change tactics and use some other means of curing him, praying that they would have a greater effect. I instinctively reached for the medic pack when I noticed it wasn't slung around my torso. I gasped as I recalled I had shed all of my bags and equipment before racing towards Basch. Without their added weight and bulk I had thought I'd able to move quicker. How could I have been so stupid to leave it behind! "We need to move him to the backline. My medic pack is back there!"

I glanced up to see that without Basch to help him keep the beast held back, Vossler was quickly losing ground and his strength. The Gigas was making short work of him, almost toying with him, it wouldn't be long before he too was smeared on the floor and the retched beast would stomp its way over to us.

"I can't leave Vossler to fend for himself!" Penelo said, her eyes never leaving the knight and the Gigas. She was now the one who was keeping up the Vossler's defence via magicks. I scrambled to my feet, ready to dart back and grab the pack when suddenly, two more swords flashed against the beast's leathery flesh. Ashe and Vaan had seen what had happened and had abandoned their attempts to open the doors in order to aid their comrade.

"He's safe now, Penelo." I said to her as she paused to watch her friend fearlessly put his life on the line for the knight. "But Basch isn't. We need to get him further away, to a safer place so I can cure him and give him a Phoenix Down."

She turned and after a brief moment of regarding his injuries, she nodded. "You grab his legs." She did as I instructed and the two of us heaved his heavy frame up a few inches off the floor and began to shuffle back to Balthier and Fran.

We set him down a little further back. My arms ached from their effort, he sure was heavy. Penelo grabbed the medic kit whilst I once again began to cast cure spells on him. She set it down beside me.

"You've got it covered from here. I will join the sky-pirates and aid anyone who falls whilst you look after him."

I grunted thanks as I rummaged around the medic pack. His wounds were almost healed but I was exhausted and was certain I didn't have much magickal energy left in me. I pulled a potion from the pack and hastily uncorked it using my teeth. I carefully cupped his head and poured the green liquid slowly past his lips. After the potion had healed all it could, I surveyed his form. Most of his skin was back to normal and his arm didn't seem as flimsy as it had before. I would have to revive him to see if he was still suffering from any unseen injury. Still keeping a gentle grip of the back of his head, I reached over and snatched up a vial of Phoenix Down.

* * *

Consciousness seized him slowly. The sluggishness was hard to shake from his mind. It was a struggle to keep himself from being snatched away once more by oblivion. Something told him he needed to wake and... what? He wasn't sure why this urgency had set upon him. Perhaps it was that even as he struggled to wake he could sense something was most awry. His eyes slowly opened to reveal his vision too was taking its time to function once more. As he attempted to peer past the haze, his mind desperately scrambled for the reason he was unconscious in the first place. It came up blank.

"Basch, can you hear me?" The voice swam forth and in that instant it was as if the fog that had racked his senses had been lifted. He blinked a few times.

Edie was on her knees at his side. She was cradling his head with one hand as the other held an empty glass vial. Due to her leaning forward slightly, long, thick sections of hair that had worked its way free from her hair pin flowed down and nearly brushed his face. Her face was awash with concern. His eyes quickly scanned her features: grey-blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and rosebud lips. Her skin was still so pale. It made her exhaustion easier to identify as the shadows decorating the hollows of her eyes were more prominent.

It was then he noticed it, a smear of blood along her forehead, cheek and chin. He glanced at her body quickly trying to figure out if she had been injured. It was everywhere. Her visible hand, forearms and dress was dirtied with smears and splatters of blood. His eyebrows pinched together in unease. Although he had mention that bravery was vital in battle to his newly acquired pupil he prayed that his words hadn't spurred her on without thought for her own safety. He wouldn't forgive himself if another under his guidance died in battle. She seemed to notice his bewildered frown and quickly put two and two together.

"It's okay. I'm okay. It's your blood." She calmly explained to him.

She cast the vial aside and gently grasped his shoulder, a prompt for him to move. "Can you sit up?" He slowly pulled his back away from the floor, her hands steadying him. Despite the simple task his breathing was ragged. "Are you still hurt? Do you feel any pain?" Edie quizzed him.

"Just... a little tired." He said, his voice croaky.

"Here, take another." She handed him a potion. It did the trick and the fatigue that laced his limbs was wiped away.

"Better?" Edie asked.

His eyes snapped up from studying his battered shoulder armour to meet her gaze. She was too close to him again, only this time she didn't seem to notice, she was too absorbed in her role as medic to begin blushing and mumble apologies. He couldn't explain why he grew so discomforted when they were at such proximity or if one of them either had to lay hand on the other. He had been willing to chalk it up to the fact that he hadn't been around the fairer sex in quite some time yet he couldn't rationalize as to why this discomfort didn't occur with the other females in the group.

"Much." He nodded.

"Good. I thought you were in deep trouble for a minute back there." She smiled.

He was just about to ask her how he had ended up in such a state when the clash of swords and the blast of gunshots swarmed around him, snatching his focus away from his student. He glanced around the hall to see the sky-pirates and Penelo performing their battle duties whilst all the way at the other end Vaan, Vossler and Ashe were combating the mighty Gigas. The reason for his urgency to wake suddenly slapped him across his face. He snatched up his hammer, got to his feet, and swiftly ran to aid them.

* * *

I watched as Basch returned to battle without a slither of hesitation. If that had been me I would have defiantly had thought twice about being so close to the deadly beast. Luckily, with our entire party focusing on the foe, he was becoming increasingly weak. I got to my feet and slung the medic pack over my shoulder before searching its stock for something to restore my magickal energy. An Elixir would easily give me enough strength to allow the Mist to once more flow through me. I quickly gulped it down and rejoined the others in the backline, ready to contributing to the fight again.

The Gigas soon fell. It sunk down on one knee, bearing most of its weight on the spear it gripped in order to keep him upright. Even in defeat it still seemed dominant, letting out a low growl before its form transformed to a thick Mist that whirled around fiercely before morphing into a floating glyph. We all approached it.

"In vainglory they arose, shouting challenges at the gods. But prevail they did not. Their doom is to walk the Mist until time's end. A legend of the nu mou." Fran spoke as she paced toward the hovering entity.

"My family tells a story of the Dynast-King and an Esper." Ashe said, gazing up at the glyph. "The story goes that in his youth, the Dynast-King defeated a mighty Gigas for which the gods took heed of him. Thereafter, it was bound to him in thraldom."

"So all this time it's been here guarding the Dynast-King's treasure." Mused Balthier.

"Not so." Ashe shook her head, "It is the Dynast-King's treasure."

I had to admit it was amusing to watch the displeasure creep across Balthier face. I tried not to let my smirk become too noticeable.

"That's your treasure?" He scoffed.

"In this Esper we now command rests a power whose worth is beyond measure."

"Is that so? Call me old fashioned, but I was hoping for treasure whose worth we _could_ measure." He snorted. "Still, it was promised to me so I may as well take it." He reached out to touch the glowing glyph but before his fingertips could contact it his wrist was seized by Vossler's metal clad hand.

"You be not worthy of such a fortune. It is meant only for those of the royal blood line so that they might use it to smite their enemies. I shall not stand by and watch as a sky-pirate claims it!" He growled.

"Do call off your hound, Highness he's beginning to bother me." Balthier said coolly, not breaking eye-contact with the knight.

"Vossler, he is right. It was promised to him." Ashe said.

"But it is your heritage, your birthright!"

"To use so how I see fit. I give it to him."

"I-I don't think your Majesty has fully understood the situation at hand here." Vossler said, his grip on Balthier's wrist slackening.

"Don't dare insult me, Vossler!" She hissed, "He may claim it as I know he will travel with us until the end."

"What makes you so certain?" Balthier questioned her with a smirk and a quirk of his eyebrow.

"What is travel to you without reward? Your kind steal, pillage and swindle your way though Ivalice and you are most aware that there will be many an opportunity for such debauchery if you accompany me." She explained as she paced over to his side.

"Sounds about right." He chuckled.

"Highness, though that may be, I implore you to reconsider. Such a legacy should not be squandered on the likes of him." Vosslor's tone was once again taking on an angered growl.

"It is my decision to make and it is final. Stand down, Vossler." Ashe said darkly.

The knight dropped Balthier's wrist and bowed to her, his way of showing his defeat and remorse for challenging her so. Balthier quickly rearranged his shirt cuff that had been ruffled by Vossler's grip before once more stretching his hand towards the glyph.

"Be still." Fran's soft voice caused him to pause before he could grasp it. He turned to her, a questionable look on his face.

"You have something to say, Fran?" He asked his partner.

"I suggestion I do bid to you all." She said as she stepped forward and placed one of her elegant hands upon the sky-pirate's own, a signal for him to lower it.

"What be it?" Basch asked.

"This be a beast of most mighty power. Those who become its host will obtain its limitless strength. It prove wise to allow a weaker member to claim it." She glanced over at me. Their eyes followed her gaze.

"Me?" I dumbly pointed a finger to my chest. Fran gave a slow nod.

"You would nay need to be coddled in battle hereafter." She explained.

"I dare say the idea isn't without its brilliance, Fran. It would be quite the relief not being hindered by her in battle."

"Then you agree?" Vossler asked, a tinge of disbelief in his voice.

"Surprised are we? True it may be I only seek my own gratification yet this would indeed benefit me. I would no longer have to aid her in battle, which I do so constantly."

"It is settled then." Fran said.

I wasn't entirely listening to their conversation since the Viera had nodded at me. My mind was whirling with all manner of thoughts. I was unsure if I could really handle such power, although it was quickly growing into a tempting thought to have the demon a part of me. I would be an equal in battle, my strength and speed on par with the other members of the group. Sure, I will still need Basch's guidance and tutoring but I was confident my lessons would run all the more smoother for having the Gigas apart of me. It was a fearless warrior that had fought many a fight so perhaps it tack-ticks and knowledge would become mine also. I paused in my pondering to notice everyone was staring expectedly at me once more. There was still one thing niggling at me.

"Ashe, you're sure you want to give me its power? What happens if you need it years from now and I am long gone?" I asked. It was bound to happen, I wasn't going to be in this land forever and then who knows what would happen to the Gigas that was bound to my being.

"I am positive. The past plagues me so and I use it to drive onwards and manage the present, the future matters not to me. I ask you to take the Esper so that you can continue to abet the others and myself as we find a way to free Dalamasca."

I glanced over to Penelo. Her lips softly curved  
into a genuine smile as she nodded in approval at the topic at hand. I could also use the beast's power to protect her from harm. With my strength increased and Vaan and I at her side she wouldn't befall injury at all. This thought almost meant more to me than my want to become a better warrior. Sure, I would soon be able to perhaps join the likes of Basch and Ashe when they charged into battle and know what it feels like for an enemy to fall by my spear but in truth that was nothing if my friends' safety was compromised. Protecting Penelo from harm was defiantly something I strived to do, she had done so much for me since we had first met. I owed her it.

"Alright. I'll do it." I nodded.

I slowly exhaled a heavy lungful of air to calm my growing excitement of obtaining such supremacy before I stretched my hand toward the glowing object before me. My fingers brushed its complicated design and as I placed my palm against it a rush of power so strong it stunned me ripped through my being. It coursed up and down my body as if it was searching for an exit. It rattled along my bones wanting to stretch my ribcage so it could nestle there yet it soon grew bored and decided to snake up my spine and bore into my skull. It was white hot, searing, mind-numbingly painful as it swirled behind my eyes making me think they would melt in their sockets. My heart rattle out a feverish beat, my lungs constricted and failed to take in air and my mind could only think one thing: It's trying to kill me! I'm too weak and it doesn't want to be bound to me.

Just as I was sure I was done for, the pain subsided in a flash, leaving me standing there eyes wide and mouth open. I finally sucked in a gulp of air and gave in to shake of my jelly-like limbs. I crumbled to the floor.

"Edie!" Penelo folded to her knees and leant over me. I was sprawled on my back only able to greedily inhale the air and push it back out. "Are you alright? Say something!"

Once my heartbeat had subsided and my lungs no longer ached I managed to remember how to speak.

"It tried.. to kill me."

"They wish not to be bound to corporal form." Fran explained.

"But we defeated it." I said still laying, unmoving.

"Tis the gods respect we gained, not the Espers'. It is only bound to you by their bidding. If they had not willed it you would be dead."

"Great." I groaned and attempted to pull myself up. I was rewarded with a wave of dizziness.

I brought my right-hand up to my face to rub at my aching eyes when I noticed it- my hand had something on it. The glyph's design was depicted on my palm. It wasn't slap bang in the middle. Instead, its rectangular design was decorating the right side of my hand. It started just below my index and middle finger and travelled down to heel of my hand. It was a strange colour, a reddy-brown like a henna tattoo.

"It you will bear until the end of your days." Fran said as she took notice of my hand.

I traced the fingers of my left hand long it's weaving design. A lifetime was time enough to have such a mark but part of me was still convinced that the Gigas couldn't and probably wouldn't be able to travel back with me to my realm. Penelo offered me her hand and helped me stand. As soon as I was on my feet I was nearly knocked back to the floor by a hustle of images and information surging my mind.

_Belias, the Gigas._ _Scion of darkness and guardian of the Holy Realm, made by the gods in opposition to the Transcendent Loghrif, scion of light. Called the Gigas for his appearance: man and monster fused as one. Considered a mistake upon his making, and receiving not his intended role, the Gigas challenged the gods and lost. Scorned by his masters, he found another, the Dynast-King, whose tomb he swore to protect for eternity._

Memories flickered past me, from his confrontation with the gods to his time spent serving the dead king. How he stood alongside him in battle when the Dynast-King summoned him and how he lent his strength to the humble Hume when he asked him to lace his body with Belias' power. I saw it all through the beast's very own eyes.

_You and I are as one now though I shall not heed you so willingly, girl._ A voice hissed from the dark corner of my mind. Too scared to answer it, I attempted to focus on anything other than the strange creature that now dwelled within me. It didn't really work as I noticed just how strange I felt now, as if it weren't my body I was in, I guess two spirits sharing the same shell was bound to be a challenge for the mind. I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, somewhat disappointed that I didn't actually feel stronger, just stranger.

We moved on and approached the door, which now opened with ease. It led to a smaller setting that had a long walkway that was trimmed with decorative stone railings. As we moved along I soon noticed that at the end of the path was a large, silver staff where a glowing white jewel was nestled. It floated, supported solely by its own energy. It was beautiful. Its quality was milky and clouded, like quartz yet with a supernatural shimmer woven through it also. We came to a halt a respectable distance away. Vossler looked at the stone with unease. Basch noticed this and he stepped closer to his brother- in-arms and questioned,

"What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty, we must go." He said to Ashe, ignoring Basch's concern.

She nodded and paced forward towards the shrine where the Dawn Shard dwelled. The rest of us remained rooted to the spot and watched. As she ascended the few steps that led up to the shrine, the stone's glow suddenly became brighter.

"What?" Ashe gasped softly. A shaky breath came from her as she looked on sadly at something that wasn't there. "Rasler."

Rasler? Lord Rasler of Nalbina, her late husband? I blinked hard. I saw nothing. Vaan's gasp caused my head to snap back to look at him. He slowly walked forward, past Penelo and I, his attention fixed on the princess before him. I returned my gaze back to Ashe to see her turn and quickly reach out as if she meant to grasp something. She slowly brought her hand up to her chest, her fingers of her right hand woven around her silver wedding band.

"You will be avenged." She vowed, though she struggled to keep the sadness she felt from gracing her tone.

She lowered her hands and looked towards the back of the chamber, as if she was still watching something. Suddenly, she gasped and there in her left hand was the Dawn Shard, its light pulsed softly like a tranquil heartbeat.

"Come. We make leave." Vossler urged. His voice finally disturbed the young woman from her reverie.

We all quickly made our way back though the maze of rooms, halls and chambers via the way stones until finally we were greeted by the warmth of the desert sun. I sighed in relief. My contentedness didn't last long as a monstrous fleet hovered over the tomb grounds, its mammoth form soon blotted out the sun's welcoming rays. It dispatched a handful of smaller crafts.

"What do we do?" Growled Vaan through gritted teeth, his hands darting to his sword.

"We surrender. It'd prove pointless to fight such numbers." Vossler said.

"You think that wise?" Basch questioned.

"I see no other way." Was his answer.

So once again we were man-handled and bound with handcuffs before being transported to the larger airship. I had to admit I was growing tired of being seized by the Empire's lackeys.


	24. Chapter XXIV

Author's Note

Just to let anyone who didn't notice know I've edited the last chapter to work out some obvious flaws that were in it. I managed to get a few days off from work and have currently managed to churn out three chapters including this on so hopefully you want have to wait as long for me to update!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXIV: Reason is Treason. **

We walked along the ship's corridors, chaperoned by a throng of guards until we reached the brig, where a familiar face awaited us. Judge Ghis' fingers lightly drummed on his helmet, which was stowed on the lip of the ledge that led to the ship's control panels.

"Such a tremendous honour to be graced with your presence, Majesty." He said, turning to fully regard Ashe. "You left us with such great dispatch upon our last encounter that I must confess I had begun to worry that we may have given Your Majesty some cause for offense."

"Such a heartfelt display of remorse." Ashe snarled. "Now what is it you want?"

"I want you to give me the nethicite." He outstretched a gloved hand to the Princess in waiting for her to comply.

"The nethicite?" Penelo's fingers curled tighter around the glowing blue stone. I had noticed her fumble for it when we had been brought before the Judge. She was probably nervous he might throw another powerful magick attack at us again. Her hands quickly moved so that they were held behind her back, hiding her treasure from the ranked official before her.

"That is a base imitation!" He spat in almost disgust. "We seek Raithwall's legacy, the ancient relics of the Dynast-King: deifacted nethicite." I noticed as his eye's flickered from Ashe to the back of our group. With a small, dark smile tugging at his lips he asked, "Did you not tell them, Captain Azelas?"

I whipped my head round to look back at the knight. I heard Ashe gasp as if she had had a dagger pierce her lung. Vossler paced past us and stopped at her side.

"Majesty, he speaks of the Dawn Shard. That is the nethicite." He said softly. I blinked in disbelief. What on earth was going on?

"Are you mad, Vossler?" Basch's usual guff tone had extra bite to it as the anger in his voice was all too evident.

"If we are to save Dalmasca, we must accept the truth. I will fight this profitless battle no more!" His words were met with our group's stunned silence. The one knight Ashe had installed all trust within had just betrayed her. It took a while for that fact to sink into my already whirling mind.

"Captain Azelas has struck a wise bargain. In return for the Dawn Shard the Empire will permit Lady Ashe to reclaim her throne, and the kingdom of Dalmasca will be restored. Think on it. An entire kingdom for a stone. You must admit, 'tis more than a fair exchange." Ghis said, his smile broadening with satisfaction at the princess' distraught expression.

"And when all is said and done, your master will have another pet." Balthier chimed in. Ghis' eyes slowly roamed over the sky-pirate before they returned to Ashe.

"Lady Ashe, let us take him for the people of Dalmasca. Your Majesty wallows on indecision on the peril of their heads!" He swiftly drew his broadsword and held its blade to Baltheir's neck. The sky-pirate didn't even flinch as the sword had been swung at him. "And his shall be the first to fall." Balthier narrowed his eyes before he coolly said,

"Well at least your sword is to the point." I couldn't stop the smile gracing my face. Balthier maybe an arrogant felon but his cool-headed attitude was most worthy of envy. There was no way I would have reacted like that if I had been in his position.

After a long moment of the two men staring each other down, Ashe broke the tension that crackled between them. She stepped forward and handed Ghis the Dawn Shard. With it in his hand his attention to Balthier quickly waned. He lowered his sword and turned his back to us before saying,

"To think the relics of the Dynast-King were deifacted nethicite." He held up the stone, admiring its form. "Doctor Cid will be beside himself."

"What did you say?" Balthier quickly stepped forward. I frowned at his sudden turnabout in attitude. I had never seen him so easily riled before. Once more ignoring him, Ghis turned to Vossler.

"Captin Azelas, take them to Shiva. They should have leave soon to return to Rabanastre." Vossler gave a brisk nod and the swarm of guards quickly ushered us along with sharp shoves and commands to move on. Unable to do anything, we obeyed and were led away from the brig, leaving the Judge with his newly acquired stone.

We were led along the Leviathan's passageways to reach the hanger. There, we would no doubt be transported from one large ship to another via an Atomos aircraft. I recalled the last time we had been on one of these. Vossler had found us a way off the monstrous ship, a way to freedom yet now he was the one who had put us in these chains. My mind racked every possible reason as to why he had done this to us, to his princess. It made no sense.

As we made our way through yet another generic chamber onto the next maze of corridors, I lingered towards the back of our group so that I could hear the knight's words to Ashe.

"When we return to Dalmasca, we can announce that you are alive and well. I will then continue our negotiations with the Empire. I believe Larsa is the key. He will listen to us. We should trust him." Ashe came to a sudden stop at his words. She turned to face him, a look of resentment mingled with sorrow adorning her features.

"Who are you, Vossler, to speak of trust?" Her venom laced words lingered heavily in the air for a few moments before she stalked off. I watched as he hung his head and heavily sighed,

"A son of Dalmasca." He lifted his head once more and noticed my dawdling. "Move. Onwards." He ordered. I ignored him and turned to face him fully.

"You're doing this for Dalmasca, right? You didn't intentionally betray her?"

"You think me that wicked? Of course not!" He snapped, quickly enclosing the space between us in sharp steps. "Edie, isn't it?" I nodded. He grabbed my arm. "This matter concerns you not, now walk onwards."

"But it does. I have the Dynast-King's power at my fingertips now. It's my job to use it to help her." I said, squirming free from his grasp.

"Then you would use it against me?" There was a hint of bitter humour in his voice. I narrowed my eyes.

"If she asked me to, yes. I know you think what you're doing is right but it isn't going to help anyone. Sure, Dalmasca will be restored but it won't be independent. Ashe can't rule her kingdom under the Empire's thumb!"

"That will not happen. I will see to it Lord Larsa understands Dalmasca's need to stand alone, as it once had been before the war."

"I hope you're right because something good has to come out of you betraying her. She placed all of her trust in you when Basch had been declared a traitor and you fed that trust when you formed the resistance, aided her gain the Dawn Shard and for what? To rip it away?"

"It was nay false nor forged with a motive in mind. I would still protect her to the end."

"Then please stop this." I pleaded. "There's still time for us to reclaim the Dawn Shard and go to Mt Bur-Omisace so she can be identified as royalty and we can finally start to put an end to this!"

His annoyance flared once more and he wasted no time in whirling me around and marching me onwards so we were once more stepping in time with the rest of the group. I sighed heavily in defeat. This wasn't good, he really was under the impression he was doing good. He only needed to look at how shattered the Princess' confidence in her cause was to see otherwise. I wish he would open his eyes.

We entered a large holding chamber. Amongst the crowd of guards were three low-ranked Judges, who would see to it we didn't misbehave on our trip back to Rabanastre. I paced away from Vossler and stood beside Fran, all the while trying to curb my rapidly swelling anger. Suddenly, Fran's head snapped up.

"Fran, what is it?" I asked attempting to keep the fret from voice.

It was never a good sign when she was able to sense something. It was usually a hidden threat. Her breathing quickly became more and more laboured and she sagged slightly as if her limbs were becoming too heavy. It was in that instant I noticed it. The calm flow of the Mist was growing faster, stronger. It whirled around her form, growing thicker and thicker as if it wished to devour her. This Mist was a different kind from the dense fog I had witnessed in the tomb, it was colourless and incredibly fierce.

"Fran!" I gasped and reached out to touch her shoulder. I was surprised my hand could even break through the rapid flurry that was forming around her like a tornado. My fingers brushed her shoulder and I quickly yanked my hand back with a hiss. Her skin, it was on fire! The others had noticed the commotion behind them and turned.

"Fran?" Vaan's tone was pitched high in worry.

"Such heat! The Mist... it's burning." She gasped. With all of her effort focused on keeping control of her mind she soon sunk to her knees. I looked on, powerless, as her limbs twitched in effort and her ragged breaths were interrupted by gasps of pain. One of the guards noticed her and marched over.

"You! Stand!" He barked and made to seized her by her hair. Before his fingers could entwine with her white mane, a burst of energy crackled from her form and sent him flying backwards to land in a heap on the floor.

"Hold her down!" Vossler ordered his minions.

They approached her cautiously as she took deep, rattling breaths. Her long nails scraped along the tiles before her hands clenched into fists. I watched in wonder to see the Mist that had shrouded her was quickly seeping into her being. When her body had drunk in enough of it, she threw her head back and emitted a chilling, feral cry. She broke free from her shackles with her own brute strength before rushing at the guards who surrounded her, attacking each one with a swift and deadly routine of flips and kicks.

"What's wrong with her?" Penelo asked Balthier, her eyes never leaving Fran's fury washed form as the Viera made quick work of the swarm of guards.

"I always knew Fran didn't take well to being tied up. I just never knew how much." Balthier smirked, his fingers quickly manoeuvring the pins that were picking the lock of his handcuffs. They soon fell opened and fell to the ground. "How about you?" He turned to Ashe.

"I like Fran's idea." She offered him her shackled hands.

He nimbly repeated his trick and they too fell to the ground with a heavy clunk. As he was ridding me of my own handcuffs, I noticed Vaan had also managed to undo his and was hurriedly releasing Penelo's bound hands. Once we were all free of our restrains, we turned to face the rest of the enemy. Fran had quickly whittled down their numbers as many armoured bodies littered the floor. Vossler drew his sword.

"No farther! Sky-pirates! The future of Dalmasca will not be stolen!" He roared. Basch step forward to distract his attention away from Balthier and the rest of us. "Why do this, Basch? This struggle is futile. You must know where it leads."

"I do know, all too well." He agreed. His voice was tinged with grief and his eyes moved their solemn gaze from the floor to his fellow knight. He quickly snatched his axe from where it hung from his belt.

I gasped, were we really going to fight one of our own? I watched, stunned as the others also drew their weapons. This wasn't right. Sure, Vossler was deluded but he didn't deserve this for his punishment, did he?

"Edie, call forth the Gigas!" Balthier barked as he shot at one of the low-ranked Judges. "These pawns of the Empire will soon wilt under such might."

I drew my spear, and brought it close to my bowed head as I called for the Mist to empower me. I quickly sank down through the levels of my mind and located the words to summon the Esper. With the Mist filling my core, I spoke the spell aloud.

"Belias, great Gigas of the unending fires. Come forth and reek the havoc my heart desires!" In a flash the Mist was gone and I took a step back and waited for the Esper to appear. The moment stretched into two, the sounds of my friends battling the Imperials rang in my ears, making my heart drum faster. I repeated the words, "Belias, great Gigas of the unending fires! Come forth and reek the havoc my heart desires!" I shouted over the racket from the fight.

'_You be not worthy of my strength. I solely serve warriors not timorous creatures such as yourself. Bother me not, girl for my power I will not lend to you_.' Belias snarled from the depths of my mind.

"But, I need your help!"

His dark voice fell silent. He had said his piece and had made his disdain for being bound to me clear. I growled in frustration and gripped my spear with a tighter lock. _Fine, he can sit there idle if he wants to. I'll show him what this 'timorous creature' is capable of! _

I charged at the nearest of the low-ranked Judges, quickly turning my spear horizontal and holding it in an unfaltering grip, I used it as a battering rod and rammed into him hard. It wasn't enough to topple him, but he staggered a few steps forward and into Vaan's blade.

"Nice to see ya outta the backline!" Vaan grinned, shoving the Judge back and quickly locking swords with him again.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I whipped my spear round and ducked low to attempt to knock the Judge's legs from under him. This time he did fall but to my displeasure he recovered just as swiftly. He turned round to face me and lashed out with his blade. I brought my spear up to block it just how Basch had taught me, a protection spell flashing through my mind at the same moment. It did the trick and absorbed most of the blow, saving the bamboo of my weapon from being split into two by his hefty sword.

With us in a deadlock at such a close proximity I flung a fire spell at him. The blaze smashed him in his face yet he still didn't budge. After a long moment or two he soon slowly let up on his attack, distracted by the sting of his now searing metal helm melting his skin. The smell of singed flesh and hair greeted my nose. I ignored my stomach's want to flip and churn and shoved him back into Vaan who was charging at him from behind, sword ready. Vaan easily toppled him in his weakened state. His sword had actually even managed to pierced his armour as he had used it shove him to the ground. I looked with widened eyes. There laid the Judge, face down, Vaan's sword sprouting from his back, blood welling up and seeping around the metal of his blade. It seems it had also pierced his flesh.

Unfazed, the teen used his foot on the Judge's back for leverage as he yanked his weapon free. I watched in shock as the iron clad figure moved to rise once more. Vaan didn't waste time in bringing his sword down again, this time his target was the back of the military man's neck. There was a spurt of blood and a sickly crunch and soldier sagged to the ground once more. I was positive he wouldn't rise again, the rapid forming pool of scarlet told me so.

I quickly removed my eyes from him before my conscience stirred. My gaze darted around to see that the only foe left was Vossler and he was unleashing a never-ending wave of force upon Basch. I quickly hurled every healing and protection spell I could summon upon my mentor in order to renew and empower him. It did the trick and he kept up his defence. Our entire arsenal was soon focused only upon our old ally. It didn't take long for Vossler to fall after that.

He drooped before sinking to his knees before Basch. We all saw this and immediately ceased our onslaught. Ashe stepped forward, her face once more a mask of sorrow. Her hand formed into a loose fist before her chest. Vossler bowed his head in shame. The chamber shook violently.

"What's happening?" Penelo asked, looking around in search for the disturbance.

"The stone, it's destroying the Leviathan's engines. We take leave now or fall with the ship." Balthier said, supporting a suddenly limp Fran.

I couldn't remove my eyes from Vossler's frail form as he struggled for breath. The blare of the security alarms didn't seem to register in my muggy mind as they rang dully in my ears. The others moved towards the exit, back the way we came in hope there was still an Atomos in the hanger.

"Ashe, Edie, let's go." Balthier called over his shoulder at us. After a moment's hesitation, Ashe turned and began to hurriedly walk to catch up with the others. Her head dipped down so her hair could flop in front of her eyes and mask the emotion showing within them.

"No, wait. I can heal him." I said and darted towards the two knights. As soon as my feet stopped at Basch's side, I began to sift though the collection of vials in the medic pack.

"I need it not." Vossler managed to say in between his panting.

"But look at you! You're not going to be able to walk-"

"Edie, go. I will see to it he is taken care of." Basch interrupted me. I looked at him for a long moment yet it was no use, his face was set in that unreadable mask once more. I glanced back to the battered man before him. His stare was equally as solemn. A part of me didn't wish to accept what was going to happen so I nodded slowly and turned to face Basch.

"Okay. Here." I grabbed his hand and shoved a potion into it before turning and taking off, running. I couldn't fight the uprising urge to look back over my shoulder. Vossler had now slumped forward to his hands and knees, his head drooping further. I slowed and turned, my breath caught in my lungs. _Come on, give him the potion.. we can fix this. I know we can._

"Edie!" Penelo's small hand snatched at my elbow. I whirled round to face her. She had doubled back for me out of worry. Her doll-like, blue eyes quickly scanned my face. I guess I hadn't tried very hard to hide my crumbling expression. I watched her as she glanced beyond me to look upon the two men in the distance. "Come on, we have to get out of here." She said, a gentle tug of my arm accompany her words.

I wordlessly complied and once more motioned my feet to take flight. Our boots pounded the pristine tiles as we tore through the corridors to the hanger. The large glass doors opened automatically and a strong breeze brushed lank strands of my hair from my face. The Atomos' engine whirled in waiting. Balthier was stood at the foot of the small metal steps that led up into the aircraft.

"Being fashionably late doesn't suit situations such as these, ladies." He said over the whip of the wind and the whine of the ship. We passed him and boarded the carrier.

Vaan was hovering impatiently at the control panels, Ashe was already seated her chin still stooped on her chest, and Fran was laid across the row of seats at the rear. Penelo and I seated ourselves in front of Fran and across the aisle from Ashe. After enough painstakingly long minutes had crawled by, Balthier finally boarded and seated himself beside Vaan at the cockpit. I overheard him mumble something to the boy about not laying a finger on anything unless he gave permission to do so. Basch followed and as he strode down the aisle to claim his seat behind Ashe, I rose. There was something very wrong and all of us felt it and I could no longer ignore it.

"Where's Vossler?" There was no naivety in my voice. He paused at my side and without even turning his head to acknowledge me, he said,

"He fell behind." Before continuing to his seat. I stood a for a few long seconds more, my fingers, which had been resting on the seat's head in front dug into the soft leather. _He wanted to fall behind.. as his punishment._

"I said be seated!" Balthier's voice swam into focus and I automatically complied.

The little airship was quickly manipulated to hover and soon I noticed we were ripping through the clear sky. Penelo flopped her head back in the surge of relief our safety had brought her. Her reprieve was quickly up heaved by the almighty bang that sounded behind the ship. My heart jolted into my throat as my mind unhelpfully drew up the worst possibility- the Atomos' engine had blown.

"What the hell was that?" I shouted, hoping my grim thoughts weren't going to be confirmed.

"The 8th fleet of the Archadian armada going up in flames." Balthier called back over his shoulder.

Penelo and I moved to look out of the porthole aligned with our seats. I saw behind us the flames of the small swarm of ships being quickly licked up by a stronger burning blaze. The aftershock of the explosion hit us hard.

"This might get a little dicey!" Balthier warned, his hands gripping the ship's wheel hard in attempt to keep it from being spun out of control by such power.

I instinctively pulled Penelo towards me in a tight clinch. Her head nestled under my chin, her fingers seized fistfuls of my metallic waistcoat. My hands clasped equally as tight around her back. The turbulence hit us at full force, knocking us around with ease. At the very moment I thought the little aircraft was going to fail us, the ship's sailing became smoother. I slowly released my friend.

"Gee, that was scary, huh?" She said. We both quickly returned to the porthole again to witness a huge mushroom cloud of amber Mist swarming in the spot where the fleet had once hovered.

"The Mist.. it manifests now." Fran said faintly, not even able to lift her head.

"Is that what you call this?" Vaan asked in wonder.

"What is that?" Penelo pointed at something beyond the glass. I squinted and soon noticed at the core of the supernatural cloud was indeed a brightly glowing jewel. It twinkled like a stray piece of glitter upon the sky's pale cheek.

"I think it's the Dawn Shard!" Ashe gasped as she leaned over the aisle to peer out of our porthole.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Said Balthier as he manoeuvred the ship to turn before slowly backtracking towards the dying strands of Mist.

* * *

We finally docked in Rabanastre a handful of long hours later. Very few words had been spoken throughout out trip, even the normally boisterous Vaan had become uncharacteristically closed-mouth. As we waited for Balthier to finish checking in the Atomos under yet another pseudonym of his, I willed my growing sadness to disperse and be forgotten. It was in that instant I noticed Basch pocket the vial of potion I had handed him. My last ounce of patience evaporated. I stalked up to his turned back and harshly shoved him with both of my hands.

"Why did you let him do it- let him stay behind? Doesn't that contradict your knight's vow, not intervening in a brother-in-arm's peril or some rubbish?" I said heatedly, being sure to keep my voice low as not to draw attention. Basch turned, his eyebrows raised in shock.

"It was his willing to be left behind-" He began to justify but I cut him short, my anger swelling at his weak words.

"Let me guess, he saw it a fitting punishment for his betrayal, right?"

"Aye."

"And you allowed him. God, you're just as blinded by your stupid oaths as he was." I sighed, my hand met my brow in frustration. "He didn't have to die! Okay, he did wrong but that didn't mean he had to spend his last moments alone, racked with guilt and in pain." I paused, hoping he would say something, yet he merely stared at me, his mind wading through my words.

"It can't have been treason if his heart was in the right place, Basch." I muttered, breaking eye-contact with him. Passersby were beginning to notice the tongue-lashing I was giving him. I decided I had better cut it short before we were found out. "I want the potion I gave you back." He looked at me for a long moment but I still refused to meet his eyes, even as I held out my hand their focus remained on the floor. I was far too livid with him to meet his gaze, I could feel my outstretched hand tremble. He pulled the vial from his pocket and gently set it in my waiting hand. I curled my fingers around it and turned away from him before stashing it once more in the medic pack. I then walked off.

"Hey! Where ya goin'?" Vaan called after me.

"To find Tomaj. He'll be able to find us a place to stay." I answered not bothering to pause in my steps.

* * *

Balthier returned back to the others to notice they still seemed deeply affected by the afternoon's events. He paced up to his partner whom he had left sat on one of the ornate seats that were dotted around the lounge of the aerodrome. She was still in a bad way, barely able to hold up her own head. He knelt and gently placed a hand on her shoulder his thumb brushing against the elegant curve where her neck and shoulder fused. Her eyes fluttered open. He liked to believe he was well practiced in indiscreet displays of affection for her. Those dark crimson eyes of hers narrowed warningly and he ceased stroking the delicate flesh. Then again, there were the occasional grey patches where what he believed to be indiscreet was considered bold by her Viera ways.

"I know you're in a bad way Fran, though I have to admit it makes a refreshing change that it is in fact you whose suffering the repercussions of overindulging in things that are most dreadful for the body. Perhaps this makes us even now." He smiled, it was the rare occasion it wasn't his usual sarcastic tinged smirk.

"That I doubt very much." The Viera returned, despite her weakened state there was still a hint of playfulness in her tone.

"Balthier, we should leave." Ashe said quietly, pretending not to notice their warmth for one another.

"As you wish." He aided Fran to her feet and quickly scanned the group. "Where be the waitress?"

"She went on ahead in search for accommodation." The Princess answered.

"Ah, a good idea. Well then, we best enter the city in small numbers as not to draw attention. Seems as Edie is sorting for lodgings, Vaan and I will seek resources. Penelo, Ashe, I ask you take Fran and see to it she is kept well until we are reunited. Seek a public place and make that you are resting, she won't be able to walk far so I wager the plaza be the best bet."

"What of me?" Basch stepped forward whilst Balthier steadied Fran so that Ashe and Penelo linked arms with her in order keep her upright.

"You, Captain, will go after the waitress. I caught wind of your little tiff and have to say you will need to make amends for the next few days to run smoothly. Besides, she needs to know of where to rendezvous when her self-appointed task is accomplished."

* * *

I entered the Sandsea to be greeted by the usual ambiance. I always liked how bars and pubs remained untainted by the passing of time. I strolled to the bar and patiently waited for Tomaj to finish serving his customers. He noticed my lingering and approached me.

"What would you like, miss?" He addressed me warmly.

"Tomaj, it's me." I mumbled, suddenly a bit insecure of my appearance. I probably looked like a feral child with my windswept, dirty hair and dress stained with dark smatterings of the dried blood of my companions.

"Edie?" He said quietly after a long moment of scrutinizing my features.

"Hi." I smiled sheepishly.

"Gods look at you! Come here, come on let's get you sorted out." He came round to the other side of the bar and ushered me through to the kitchen. It was mid-afternoon, the bar's busiest hour and the kitchen was in full swing, the heat of the cookers and the steam of the dishwasher hit me instantly. He led me through and to the door to the storage room. Once inside, he flicked on the light and it buzzed dully as it sputtered flashes of light erratically before finally producing an even luminance. I shut the door behind me and stood waiting for him to finally speak. He could only manage to rake his eyes over the evidence of all of the battles and the hardships I had endured over the past few days. It had been well over a week since I had seen him last, when I had left him to fly to Penelo's rescue in Bhujerba.

"What happened? Are you in trouble?" He asked in a concerned tone taking a few steps towards me.

"No. I'm fine, so are the others."

"Others?" He quirked an eyebrow. I mentally stammered and grasped for a cover-up.

"Vaan and Penelo." I smiled.

"You said you had to leave because Penelo needed your help, what happened?"

"I can't tell you.. Besides, you didn't believe me last time."

"Last time you didn't show up in this state."

"I'm fine, really. It's just... I only came back here because I really need your help. I wouldn't have bothered you otherwise, I swear."

"Then name it. Whatever it is I promise I'll try to help."

"I need some place to hide out for a couple of days that's big enough for seven people, nothing fancy, just convenient and out of sight. I came to you because I know you're in touch with other landlords... and right now you're the only person I trust." I hung my weary head at my finishing words. It was true, apart from Migelo, Tomaj was the only man in this vast city who I was positive wouldn't go running to the Imperials in want to protect his business from being tarnished.

"I know a guy that can set you up for a fair price. I'll contact him and arrange for you to meet in the Muthra Bazaar." He promised, laying a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Tomaj. I owe you one." I glanced up to him, a soft smile gracing my lips.

"Very well, then do me a favour and change into these. They'll make you slightly more inconspicuous."

He quickly paced over to a cardboard box that was upon a wooden crate. He pulled from it an item and tossed the bundle at me. I caught it with both hands and studied it. It was a uniform. A typical waitress' outfit that consisted of a little white shirt that was to be worn under a black above the knee dress, and a black tie to top it all off. Most of the girls wore this outfit when working at the Sandsea. When I had started to work for him he had promised he would order more so that I didn't dirty my everyday clothes, I guess it had finally arrived.

"Will do! Thanks!" I smiled. He nodded and made for the door.

"I know you can't promise me you'll stay out of trouble but at least promise me you want go and get yourself killed." He said, looking over his shoulder as he opened the door a crack.

"Promise." He turned and left, closing the door behind him.

I made my way over to a small sink that was desperately attempting to cling to the crumbling stone of the wall and turned on the tap. As I splashed my face with the clear, cool water, I sighed in relief. I had never been so thankful for such a simple pleasure. I quickly washed my face, shocked by how much dirt had been coating it. I then patted my skin dry with a hand towel that hung beside the sink and shrugged off my metal waistcoat and yanked my dress and boots off before hurriedly dressing myself in the waitress uniform. I bundled up my dress and waistcoat and stuffed it into the medic satchel. I redid my hair and pinned it up in a tight bun in hope it didn't seem as indeed of a wash as it felt. The whole thing took me less than five minutes to perform.

I exited the storage room and quickly passed through the kitchen to once again be welcomed by the buzz of the bar. Tomaj had been waiting for me to reappear and was soon once more at my side. He ushered me through the rowdy crowd to the tavern's large oak doors. He pushed one of them open and stepped outside with me.

"Alright, everything's set up. Be at the far most end of the Bazaar at five of the clock, got it?" His eyes scanned the streets.

"Yes. Thank you, again Tomaj." I said as I turned to face him.

"I have to admit, you've been a pain in the arse ever since I hired you yet I'm sure deep down you're a decent enough lass."

"Yeah well, you've been a ball-buster of a boss. I reckon that has to make up for some of my work related misdemeanours somehow." I grinned.

"Listen, if you ever grow tired of this whole rebel thing, there's plenty of pints to be pulled here." I noticed his dark eyes had locked onto something in the distance. I followed his gaze to see it was Basch waiting and attempting to discreetly watch me from his post. He may be a knight but he was lacking in the art of espionage.

"I'll keep that in mind." I took a step forward.

"That guy-"

"Don't worry, he's a friend." I interrupted. I walked a couple of steps forward before turning. "Thanks for everything, Tomaj." I bowed my head slightly in gratitude.

"You said that already. Be careful."

"You said that already." I smiled before turning and pacing off towards Basch.

* * *

At the end of the muddle of market stalls I sat waiting. Basch was at one of the stalls pretending to be interested in its produce when really he was there as back-up if the situation didn't go according to plan. We hadn't exchanged much chitchat on our travels besides him telling me once we had finished here we were to meet up with the others in the plaza.

I tried to ignore the image that kept creeping from the corner of my mind of Vossler on his knees, bloodied and battered. He hadn't really been my friend. In fact, I had only known the man for a few days yet for some reason I just couldn't shake the horrid feeling of grief that had snuck up on me. I was thankful for the heavy footsteps that greeted my ears and tore me from my thoughts.

I quickly pulled myself to my feet so that I stood face to face with a cloaked figure. From what I could tell he was of my height and of a wide build, hardly fitting of someone of the resistance. It would seem he was just an average businessman looking to make easy money. I would have to tread carefully in order to not arouse any suspicion.

"You!" His voice gasped. It sounded terribly familiar, it was pompous and aristocratic. I yanked back the cloak's heavy hood to reveal my worst nightmare.

"Hilon!" Stood in front of me was Hilon van Daught, the landlord of the Boscobel Oak theatre house. Things were defiantly not going to run smoothly. I notice Basch glance up from pretending to scrutinize a dagger. Hilon brushed aside my hands which were still grasping the edges of his hood.

"Shhh! Insolent girl!" He hissed once more tugging the hood over his head.

"So this is you making means to keep you in the upper-class district, huh?" I smirked, folding my arms over my chest. I found it amusing that entrepreneur extraordinaire Hilon was actually moonlighting as a landlord for shady characters such as myself. I highly doubted that the income he earned from this would be documented in his tax reports.

"Well what do you expect when those Imperials don't pay for the refreshments and entertainment I sort for them?" He grumbled. "Anyway, I have little else to say to you! Do you realise the bother you put me in after you and your friends pulled that stunt at my establishment? I ought call forth a guard and have you arrested right here, right now." He turned to look at the marketplace, searching for an Imperial solider.

"No! No, wait." I grabbed at his sleeve and spun him back round to face me. "I'll pay extra if you keep your mouth shut."

"Very well. The fee is eight hundred. I want double that as compensation for robbing my customers."

"What?" I growled.

"That's 1,600 Gil if you're struggling to add up." He said sarcastically. I felt my hands ball into fists.

"That's too much. I only have nine hundred on me!"

"Then you had better hope your feet are as fast as that mouth of yours." He shrugged and turned again. He was faced with Basch towering over him. He jolted a few steps back. "L-listen here, I don't want any trouble, you hear me?"

I smirked, finding his cowardliness amusing. He had had no problem threatening me but when faced with a taller, stronger male his bravado had soon vanished. I suppose Basch did seem menacing if you didn't know him, that scar alone was enough to suggest he had seen his share of fights.

"Between us we have enough Gil to pay your charge. There is nay need to summon a guard." He said to the trembling figure before him.

He reached into the pouch that hung next to his axe. I noticed Hilon take another step back as he noticed Basch's weapon. From it he pulled out enough paper bills to make up the required amount when added my nine hundred. I followed his actions and dipped into my shoulder bag for my purse. I only had Gil on me so that I could use it to replenish the medic pack's stock whenever we came across a market or a travelling tradesman. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind me spending it on a place to stay. Basch placed the wad of bills into Hilon's chubby hand.

"Here." I said to him, holding out my hand. He turned and accepted the money. Once he had taken the time to count it twice he shoved it into his pocket and with his other hand held out a single brass key.

"The lodging is not far from here, down Pilaxeo Avenue. I assume you know where that is." I nodded. "It is the only housing that has a wrought iron gate over the door. You have a week. When you're ready to depart, leave the key on the kitchen table, understood?"

"Yes."

"Good and no tomfoolery. If I find out your misusing my property I will not hesitate to report you."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, Hilon we'll behave and be out of your hair in no time." I said, turning to walk away. Basch silently followed.


	25. Chapter XXV

Author's Note

As you may have noticed by now I like to write a lot of scenes that are unseen or occurring parallel to the main plot. These next few chapters will include the three days the group spent resting. I wanted to focus on this because I always thought it would be interesting to have them as 'roommates' and also I can add plenty of Basch/Edie moments.

Disclaimer

I don't won FFXII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXV: Round my hometown, memories are fresh.**

We all regrouped at the plaza and moved on to find the house. It was easy enough to locate when we had the likes of Vaan, who knew the maze-like back streets of Rabanastre by heart. I was sure if you blindfolded him and told him to go to any location in the town he would reach it with no problem and no peeking.

The small town house was incredibly fusty due to being unused for quite some time. I watched as Balthier carefully swept Fran up into his arms and carried her up the short flight of rickety steps to where the bedrooms were located. She was too spent to protest and merely allowed her head to sag against his shoulder. I helped Penelo as she began to stock some of the foodstuffs and supplies into the cupboards. Vaan was rooting through the drawers of a dark wooden dresser at the other end of the dining room, probably looking to see if the previous tenants had left behind anything worth of interest. Ashe slumped down onto one of the dining table's chairs. Her fingers absentmindedly traced abstract tracks in the thin layer of dust that coated the table's surface. I watched her as she paused, her fingers curling up into a loose fist. She abruptly rose from her seat, the chair legs scraping nosily across the dull tiles as she shoved it back and quickly made her way up the stairs, passing Balthier in her ascent. Basch moved to shadow her.

"I'd leave her be for now, Basch. No threat lies in wait in up there. It will do well for her to be on her own for a while." The sky-pirate said to him as he reached the foot of the stairs. The knight nodded in understanding and went to sit himself at the table. Balthier's gaze moved from him to me. "Edie. Fran requests your presence."

I left the kitchen and went upstairs to try and find Fran. There were three bedrooms in total. The door to the room at the very end of the corridor was shut tight. I passed the first room to see it was unoccupied. The second had been taken by Fran, which meant the princess had claimed the third room. I entered noticing there was very little light due to the shutters only being open a crack. The soft luminance of a small light crystal was probably only there for my own benefit as I'm sure Fran could have done without its glare.

"Fran? You wanted to see me?" I question in a soft voice, unsure if she was still conscious. I entered and made my way to her bedside. I noticed she had removed her helm so her head could rest more comfortably on the pillows.

"I ask you do something for me."

"Sure."

"The notebook in the medic kit, bestow it to me."

I complied and pulled the tattered book from the bottom of the bag. She pulled herself up so she was sitting upright and receive the book from my hands. I watched as her long fingers untied the complicated knot that secured the twine which bound the dilapidated bundle together. She flicked through its yellowed and moth eaten pages until she found what she sought after. She handed me the book back. I scanned the page she had opened it at.

Written in a fine-looking, spiral handwriting was a list of ingredients, some of which were accompanied by detailed ink sketches. Below the list was a method of how to bind the lot together. It was written in both English and a strange series of elegant symbols which must have been her own language. I looked up from the page.

"What is this?"

"I need for you to brew me it. That Mist did thieve my being of strength, this tea aids my mending."

"Can't you just take a potion or something?"

"Hume-made cures work not for ailments such as this. Happenings like these can only be amended by time-honoured Viera potion lore."

"You mean, all of this was written by you?"

She nodded her head. "We pen ways of using the Wood's elements to alleviate illness and disease. Knowledgeable of tonic craft must be those who turn their back on sanctuary, if not our stay in your lands be most short."

"If it's such a danger for you here, why did you leave?" I noticed her eyes narrow in caution that I hadn't been friends long enough to ask such a personal question. I instantly bit my tongue.

"A bold question is that, one I will not answer."

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"I believe fitting it would be that you carry the book. You are our medic."

"Really?" I knew it wasn't her that was going to teach me, it would be more me learning by her written words. Still, how many people could even make such unknown potions and tonics that this book held? It would be both a challenge for me and a benefit for our group for me to attempt such a thing. She didn't answer. Instead, she just cocked her head, her means of communicating that it was merely a suggestion. "Okay, I'll do it." I guess this would be a welcome distraction from all the thoughts swimming through my mind about what had happened back on the Leviathan.

"Study it well." I returned my gaze back to the page she had selected.

"Where can I get all of this stuff?"

"Such substances are stocked in the likes of the sundries shop and the Bazaar." She explained. "Weary, I am. I rest now." She slowly reverted to laying back down and turned her head away from me in showing there wasn't anything else needed to be said.

I turned and with book in hand, left her room. I would need money to buy all this stuff and seems as I had used all of my given Gil to pay for the town house I decided to ask Balthier for more.

He was sat on a tatty looking sofa that had probably once been the living room's centrepiece due to its extravagant design. It had stylish wooden carvings of animal's feet and had probably once been a rich wine hue which had transformed into a blackened burgundy over time. There was even the odd tear in the fabric here and there.

"Care to tell what she did want of you?" He questioned as I approached him. He was taking his gun apart, probably to clean it. There was a collection of rags and gun oil laid out at his feet. I noticed he had taken the care to roll his sleeves up so they didn't get dirtied.

"She wants me to brew her a type of tea. She says it will cure her." I offered him the book. He glanced at the open page.

"Ah yes, I thought as much." He soon returned his attention back to his gun.

"You mean this has happened to her before?" I returned the book back to being held against my chest. He looked up again.

"It is fortunately a rare occurrence that the Mist plays havoc with her and whips her into a fierce frenzy, though never has it had such a strong grip on her as it had today. I will admit it was most timely there were a mass of Imperial drones to take her attacks as she would have just as easily had turned on us." I widened my eyes. "It is by no means intentional. She affirms it is since the heat is so incredibly maddening, it blinds her mind, deafens her judgement and feeds that underlying bloodlust her kind carry with them always."

"Oh." I mumbled. There was a brief pause. "Erm.. I was hoping you could give me some Gil. I used all mine to pay the landlord."

"But of course." He laid aside his dismantled gun pieces and pulled a few paper notes from his trouser pocket. I was positive he was only granting my request as he knew it would in turn benefit his partner. "This should suffice. Be sure to spend it wisely, you seem the type to fritter away fortune on things most superfluous."

"Right, this is coming from a showy sky-pirate." I snorted, stuffing the bills into my little messenger bag.

"Who is more than capable of haggling any salesman down to a smart price, therefore I get what I wish for a fairer fee. Perhaps someone should chaperone you, make sure you don't cause us any further dramas or money mishaps." He smirked. My face straightened out into an even expression.

"I think I'll be able to find my way around town without too much bother, Balthier." I said, keeping my tone deadly serious.

"So be it. Too bad really, I would have humbly suggested the Captain to be your minder. You know he can't be without having something to protect and seems as of late our princess isn't game, you would make a suitable substitute." He chuckled, picking up the pistol's barrel and lifting it to eye level so he could scrutinize its muzzle.

"See you later." I said and turned to leave. Ignoring him was the only sensible option my irritated mind could draw up. He called farewell to me as I opened the door, as usual there was a sarcastic ring to it. I promptly jerked the door closed behind me.

The townhouse was only a stone's throw away from the Bazaar so I decided I would start my appointed treasure hunt there. I turned down the alleyway and attempted to navigate the narrow back-streets. After a while it would seem I wasn't as skilled at this as Vaan was as I was pretty sure I was moving in the opposite direction to my desired destination.

As I turned around a corner I caught a glimpse of something in the corner of my eye. A dark figure was making its way down the same street I had just walked along. I tried to ignore my knee-jerk reaction to bolt before whoever this was caught up with me. It's probably just another civilian making their way around the city just like I was doing. Still, my pace quickened as did my heartbeat. As I hurriedly marched down the complex mangle of lanes and alleyways I allowed myself the odd brief glance over my shoulder. To my dismay each glance revealed that the hooded figure was still indeed following me. My mind was once again offering up unhelpful suggestions as to who my stalker was: maybe Hilon had gone back on his word and had informed the guards of me!

I burst into a quick run and soon the shadowed passageways led into the sunny and familiar surroundings of the stretch of street near the Sandsea. I quickly moved along with a crowd and ducked into the tavern's doorway. At least I wouldn't look out of place here. I was just a waitress stood at a tavern door. I watched and waited for lengthy moments and attempted to soothe my shuddering heartbeat with slow, deep breaths. A thin sweat was beginning to gather on my brow. I carefully peered around the thick sandstone of the doorway's frame to look back at the street. My rapidly darting eyes failed to spot a cloaked figure. I pushed out a long breath in relief and moved away from the door, still glancing around to reassure myself it was safe. I kept my pace slow in hope to appear more casual.

I managed to reach the mouth of the Muthru Bazaar without any second glances or raised eye-brows. I pulled Fran's notebook from my bag and carefully removed the page I needed before returning the book to my bag. With paper in hand and dressed in my waitress uniform I was sure I would appear as if I was merely running errands for my employer. I was about to descend the flight of steps down into the hustle and bustle of the stalls when a strong grip seized my arm. I sharply turned to come face to face with that same cloaked figure. I was sure this defiantly wasn't Hilon as he was far taller and broader. Perhaps the pompous git had told on me to a private agent or some other menacing hired goon.

I gasped and attempted to twist free from his grasp, when his hand still held tight I brought my knee up to clash with his groin. He groaned in pain yet his hold never faltered. With him now stooping a little, I attempted to shove him back and away from me. I couldn't get caught, not now! To my shock his other hand locked onto my free arm and he grunted something.

"Be still, you will draw attention otherwise." I shuddered to a stop, my ridged limbs suddenly fell limp and the rapid race of my heart that radiated throughout my body, slowed. This time when I shrugged his hands off me he complied.

"Basch! What the hell!" I shoved my palms hard at his hunched shoulders in order to create distance between the two of us.

He straightened and once again seized me before dragging me away from the curious glances that were being fired in our direction. When we were concealed in an alcove, he finally released my arm. I whipped round to face him.

"Do not speak me name so shrilly. My reputation condemns me, do you not recall?"

"Fine. Care to explain why you decided to scare me half to death by following me in that getup?" I asked curtly, reaching up to flick his cowl with a smooth swoop of my hand. It caused the thick material to fall back and reveal his face. His skin had a greyish tint to it, then again I did put a lot of force into my below the belt attack.

"Balthier bade me to escort you. He thought it unwise for any of us to travel the streets alone." I groaned, that damn meddling sky-pirate was going to be the death of me. He knew the knight's nobility and want to serve could easily be used to manipulate him.

"And this?" I huffed gesturing to the cloak that covered him. He tugged the hood over his head before answering.

"A precaution. By now my escape from Nalbina will have been reported and certainly will be circulated with a detailed description of my appearance to every guard in the land."

"Well you seemed fine to walk around in the Bazaar earlier without a disguise." I folded my arms across my chest, paper still clutched in hand and peered up into the darkness of the hood where his face was.

"True, as did I keep a low profile, which be why I caved to the demands of that landlord in want to not rouse notice."

"Oh." I sighed and dropped my arms to my sides. "Alright, fine, come with if you want. I'm only shopping for some things for Fran." I tried to keep the anger from coating my voice but failed miserably as my words were offered with a half-hearted shrug and a sullen tone.

There was still some annoyance swirling within me about what had happened earlier but I couldn't just send him back home. No doubt Balthier would have a field day in teasing me if I did so I decided to swallow it and deal with it later. I turned and once more made my way into the Bazaar he followed me, looking very much like a long shadow.

Finding the ingredients for the brew wasn't as easy as I had anticipated but a few hours later I had all but one. As I packed up my last item I had purchased from a vender I held out the sheet of paper to him.

"You don't happen to have this one as well do you? I've been looking all over for it and it seems none of the other traders have it." The vender peered at the item I pointed out, it was one on the list that was also illustrated with one of Fran's lifelike sketches.

"Hmm. Mugrat root is hard to come by in these parts you'd best seek a specialist, try Migelo's sundries over on the other side of the merchants district. He might be of more help than I." He said. I thanked him and left.

I was hoping he wasn't going to say that. I didn't really want to go to Migelo's and had prayed that I would have been able to find all of the items at the market place. We strolled along Rabanastre's streets with the crowds. I squinted up at the sky, there were more clouds blotting it than usual but they didn't succeed in hindering the sun's warmth and rays from being radiated upon us. Odd, I almost missed the days I had spent zipping back and forth between the two districts for Migelo, even odder was that when we had returned to Rabanastre I actually felt I had returned home. Home. The thought of my real home slunk out of the shadows of my mind and unravelled itself bit by bit, each time dropping a new worry as it did so. Before I could even be overwhelmed by it all a dark chuckle rattled off from my mind's murky depths silenced my worries. Belias, my very own dark passenger. I ignored his snickering and realised we were nearing Migelo's. I paused.

"Basch, could you do me a favour?" I turned to him, he too had paused.

"What be it?"

"Would you mind going in to get the Mugrat root for me?" I took his silence for puzzlement and so I explained, "You see me, Penelo and Vaan all used to work for Migelo before all of this happened. Tomaj already knows I'm back, if Migelo was to find out also then Kytes might find out and he'll tell the rest of the orphans and before you know it the whole of the Low Town will know. It wouldn't be long for word that we're here to reach the Imperial guard and then we really would be in trouble."

I looked up into his hood, it was hard to gauge his reaction to my request, then again I was sure it would have been the same without his cloak as I was positive his face would be set in that usual expressionless mask of his.

"Very well." I handed him the paper and some Gil.

After a short wait he returned from the shop and crossed the street to me.

"They have not the fresh root only a powder." He informed returning the potion's ingredient list and handing me a small vial filled with a brown residue.

"I hope that will work just as good then." I said carefully stowing the last item in the medic pack.

"The owner was most apologetic he had not the root. He was gracious enough to cut the price."

"Was he a Baanga?" His hooded head dipped in a nod. "That's Migelo, the most generous guy in Rabanastre. He even takes care of the war orphans, make's sure they have food, a bed and keeps them out of trouble by letting them help him out in the shop now and then." A warm smile had crept onto my face as I was talking about Migelo to Basch. From his silence I was sure he had noticed it too. I quickly rearranged myself, "Anyway, we better get back. I have to actually have a go at making this potion."

As we walked back I realised my thoughts of Migelo and the others had picked up my spirit somewhat. I guess I had enjoyed my little scavenger hunt more than I thought I would have, especially with the likes of Basch with me. I glanced at him. He wasn't bad really, it was just he conformed so much to the oaths he had taken as a knight that they were now a reflex to him. From what I had seen from him there was not a slither of malicious in him instead he favoured respect, honour and kindness. My mind suddenly stammered as it dawned on me I had been rude to him.

"Ah! I didn't thank you did I?"

"It matters not."

"Yes, it does." I said stopping in my tracks. "Thanks Basch. I don't know what I would have done if I had had to answer questions on where Vaan and Penelo are."

"Think nothing of it." Came his reply.

How many times had he helped me out since we had met? I was thankful enough that he was even taking the time to train me in the art of fighting but he had often aided me without hesitation, I guess he really was a selfless knight. Guilt gripped me in that moment as I recalled how I had scolded him at the Aerodrome earlier. A lesser person would have brush off my request after enduring my tongue-lashing. My eyes moved from the cobbles to once again peer into his hood.

"I'm sorry about earlier too."

"You had right to be upset." He said after a heavy silence.

"But..." I trailed off as I thought of Vossler. His hand on my shoulder broke the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings of guilt and grief that were rising and falling in my mind.

"I ne'er doubted his loyalty, even as he fought us. It misled him and before he could amend, it was too late. I would have liked to save him yet his mind was set. His death will not be worthless, I will see to it, it isn't." He said, his voice quieter than usual. I nodded and we continued on.

Back at the house, I opened the door to be greeted by the sweet smell of Penelo's cooking. I poked my head in the kitchen to see she was stirring a large pot that was cooking a rainbow of ingredients. Vaan was helping, though by his way helping meant thieving food and sticking his fingers in the pot. Penelo shouted at him and hit him on the head with a wooden spoon. I chuckled and carried on through to the living room. Balthier had finished cleaning his gun and was now draped over the sofa dozing. I was surprised he managed to sleep with all the commotion going on in the kitchen.

"I trust you've returned baring all the required items." He said, his voice slow and thick as if he had been roused from a deep sleep. It startled me. He lazily cracked one eye open. "Do you take fancy to gazing at people whilst they sleep? Most would find such a pastime perverted." Even half awake his lips managed to form that irritating smirk.

"I got everything." I decided to ignore his taunt "How's Fran?"

"She rests well enough." He sighed and pulled himself up to sit.

"There's just one thing, I couldn't find a fresh Mugrat root. Do you think the powdered stuff will work?" I asked producing the vial of brown powder and holding it out to him. He accepted it and looked it over.

"Fresh Mugrat root doesn't grow this side of the Ozmore Plaines, it's too dry here for it to flourish. This will fare well enough, though I suggest you put a tad more into the mix than the method states as when dried it isn't as potent."

"You seem to know a lot about this stuff, huh?" I raised my eyebrows as he handed the vial back.

"T'was I who would have to play the role of medic whenever this occurred."

"So you know how to brew this then?"

"If Fran appointed this to you it won't have been without reason therefore my meddling will be most unwelcomed." He said, sensing where my questions were leading the conversation. I would have been more confident if Balthier had been able to watch over me whilst I made it.

I set everything out onto a small table in the living room. There was all manner of things from fresh herbs to ground bones. I set up our small camping stove and fired it up. It seemed to be a complicated potion to bring together. There was plenty of chopping, weighing out correct amounts and grinding up different elements of the potion in a pestle and mortar. I set to work double checking the method as I preformed each step. The sunlight soon faded and I had to stop to turn on the room's light crystal so that I could continue my work.

It was night by the time I had finally finished. The batch was large enough for numerous doses I just hope I had done it right for it to actually work. I ladled some of the brew into a large clay mug before going upstairs to Fran's room. The lights were off. I lingered at the doorway for a few moments before softly calling her name. I didn't want to active the light crystals as their glare would sting her tired eyes. The rustle of the bed sheets were accompanied by a soft glow suddenly radiating throughout the room. I padded over to her, the mug gripped in both hands. She still looked drained.

"Sorry it took so long. I hope it works." I said softly as not to irritate her sensitive ears. I handed her the tea and she accepted it with a single nod in thanks. She took a delicate sip before nodding again.

"It has been brewed correctly." She confirmed, I guess she could tell by the taste. "Drink this, I must every three hours."

"Alright, I'll see you in three hours." I smiled and left her.

I plodded down the stairs and sat at the dining room table. The others had all eaten hours ago but I refused to stop until I had succeeded in making the potion. Ashe hadn't come down for her dinner, in fact there hadn't been a peep from her since she shut herself away in that room. I plated myself up some food and began to devour it. I loved Penelo's cooking, she may have dreams of becoming a dancer but she could always have a career as a chief. The stew she had made was so good I helped myself to another serving. With my stomach full, tiredness gripped me hard. I felt too tired to even move so I merely allowed myself to sit there and drift off into a thoughtless daydream. A hand being placed gently on my shoulder pulled me from my zoning out. I looked up to see it belonged to Penelo. A fat drop of water fell from her damp hair and splashed on my shoulder.

"Hey, bathroom's free. I think you've deserve a nice long bath." It was then I realised that I indeed was in desperate need of a wash.

"That's a good idea. I've been dying for a bath ever since the Nam-Yensa Sandsea." I pulled myself up and wondered upstairs to the bathroom.

It was like a entering a sauna, mist fogged the cramped bathroom and clung like dew onto the mirror. I smiled, at least I knew the water was going to be hot enough to remove all the dirt from me.

After I had relaxed in the warm water for well over an hour I finally began to scrub every last trace of the desert from my hair and body. I once again dressed myself in my waitress ensemble seems as my little green dress wash being washed. I paused in the corridor to peer into the darkness of Fran's room, she was in need of another dose now. I plodded downstairs and fired up the camping stove to warm the tea through.

"Fran? Are you awake?" I hovered in the doorway again, tea in hand. She answered me by turning on the light crystal. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She accepted the mug and sipped at the dark liquid. I smiled to myself, at least it was working. I was about to leave her in peace when she spoke, "Odd I find it you were not affected by it as I was."

"Me?"

"You see the Mist yet are not sensitive to its fluctuations, strange that." She mused, the mug hovering at her lips.

"Maybe it's like a gift or perhaps I'm a freak of nature or something." I shrugged. Honestly, I was still convinced it was because I was human, not a Hume but of course I would never tell her that, it would just lead to more questions.

"Perhaps." She didn't sound persuaded. I notice her eyes wander across my face. I was never keen on being under her gaze I was always sure she could suss me out in a heartbeat. "You be troubled. By what such thing?" I frowned, where did she want me to start? I had a list of worries as long as my arm. Suddenly, a thought graced my mind. I knew she would know how to help me, her knowledge of all of the weird and wonderful entity's of this realm was broad.

"The Gigas, he won't fight for me. He says I'm weak and not worthy of his power. I tried to call him in the fight against Vossler but he refused." I held out my hand that was decorated with his glyph for emphasis. "Is there any way I could sway him?"

"The beast be arrogant if you break its pride it will heed you."

"And how do I go about doing that?"

"Speak with him, challenge him and best him."

"Erm.. how do I speak to him?" I was a little embarrassed I didn't even know the basics to my new master/Esper relationship.

"Sink within your mind and call for him." She motioned for me to sit down on her bed. I did so and noticed she was watching me. She was expecting me to do it now, in front of her. I suddenly was attacked with a bout of stage fright. "See to it I will he shall not break free from you."

"Wait... you mean he could overpower me?"

"If you allow it."

I suddenly wasn't so keen on this idea. Still, Fran's unblinking gaze was just as unsettling so I took a deep breath and closed my eyes and took my time to focus on delving into the core of my mind where he was surely lurking.

"Call him." Fran said in a voice so soft it was barely a whisper.

"Belias, I wish to speak with you, come forth." I said quietly. To my surprise he complied.

_What be it you want?_ His voice rumbled through my head like thunder. I willed my growing nerves to die and answered him.

"You don't obey me. Why?" He rattled off another dark chuckle.

_You are privy as to why. I serve great warriors not rabbit-hearted girls .Your weakness repulses me._

"I can't be that weak if I helped to bring you down."

_You did very little in that battle, save for healing those who fall by my hand_. He snarled.

"But I did bring you down and I was chosen by a descendent of your previous master to be your host so I think I must be at least somewhat worthy."

_Pah! you were picked to be bound to me because of your weakness, do you not remember? Or is your memory weak also?_

"I did defeat you and I'm strong enough to have not died when you were bound to me, isn't that proof enough?"

_Nay. You merely survived because those bastard gods who forged me wish only for my misery. Laugh, they did as we were merged!_ He growled bitterly.

"You could heed me to spite them, that would stop them laughing."

_Never. I have endured their sneers and chastisements for centuries. Your life is short, I will be free when you die and return to Raithwall once more._

"Fine. If you hate being bound to me this much I have a no choice but to punish you for disobeying me."

_The Viera be bold in suggesting you do that, then again she isn't the one housing me. You wish to fight me, by all means I accept though you be aware of what will happen if I win._

"You'll posses me." I tried to ignore the heavy weight in my stomach that was causing it to clench tighter by the passing minute.

_So be it. Call me forth when you sort to duel, though I suggest you have that knight give you extra intuition. I hope for a challenge, girl. _

"And you'll have one." I said before slowly returning back to the bedroom. I gradually opened my eyes, the light crystal's luminance suddenly seemed too harsh. I took a couple of long blinks before turning to Fran, who was still intently staring at me.

"I'm going to fight him but not yet, I need more practice." I told her.

"Best you do it while we pause here in Rabanastre." I nodded. Footsteps interrupted us. They belonged to Balthier. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed and leaning a shoulder on its chipped frame.

"Come away, Edie. You may rest now, I will see to it she is taken care of for the remainder of the night." He said. I rose.

"Thanks Fran." I smiled at her before pacing past her partner and out of the room.

It was late and the others had been settling down for the night when I had been chatting to my demon. I paused outside the second bedroom to see Vaan and Penelo had claimed it, they had somehow managed to squeeze together so that they could both share the small bed. I noticed the bed's blanket and pillows had been arrange on the floor for me. I turned to the stairs, I was tired but there was just one more thing I had to do before going to bed. I descended the steps with light footsteps as not to stir a loud creak from any of the warped wooden boards. I wandered through to the living room which Basch had claimed as his own quarters.

He was stretched out on the threadbare sofa in a deep sleep, his mouth was open slightly in his relaxed state. It was odd to not see his face adorned with worry or determination, it actually made him seem a lot younger. My eyes traced over the delicate shadows that were caused by the definition of his muscles that showed on his arms and the flashes of his exposed torso. I was surprised just how quickly he was managing to regain his muscle mass, then again perhaps the tan he had acquired from trekking through the deserts added to that definition. Either way, he was looking a lot healthier. I quickly snapped out from staring at him remembering Balthier's words, '_Do you take fancy to gazing at people whilst they sleep?_'

I gently placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him. It didn't take much to wake him as his eyes snapped open, his brow soon creased into a look of confusion. I did feel guilty for stirring him but I knew I had to ask him this now. I took a small step back, suddenly aware I had been bowed slightly, leaning over him. My memory was quick to warn me of what had happened last time we got a little too close to one another and I certainly did want a repeat performance.

"Sorry. I know you were sleeping but I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?" He grunted and pulled himself up, dragging the back of a hand across his sleep heavy eyes.

"The Gigas won't obey me so I've challenged him to a duel. The only thing is I'm going to need more training. Seems as we're going to be here for a week, I was hoping we could go out to the desert tomorrow and train for the full day... that is if you haven't got to do something else."

"I would have to request Ashe of this. I cannot leave my post at will."

"Right..." I nodded.

"I'm sure she will not deny my appeal though it troubles me to leave her alone in her current state..."

"Maybe Penelo could cheer her up. She's very good at that, it's one of her many talents." It was true, whenever I had been down by being trapped in a realm that wasn't my home she was always there to perk my spirit back up, her happiness was almost infectious.

"Maybe."

"Anyway, I'll let you get back to sleep." I turned.

"I fair thee goodnight." He said after me.

"Goodnight." I returned before leaving the living room.

* * *

Many thanks for all your feedback and reviews. Please continue to tell me what you think!


	26. Chapter XXVI

Author's Note

Wow, I've got over 100 reviews! Thank you so much for every single one I really appreciate them. Now, as mentioned before this is a behind the scenes sort of chapter that focuses on Edie's training so that she can beat Belias. The training technique Basch used for the first session is inspired by the Kali (Filpino martial arts) training that was on a BBC programme a while ago called 'Last Woman Standing'.

As a thank you for your reviews, favourites etc. I will be uploading another chapter as soon as I've finished editing it. However there is a bit of bad news as my uploads may slow down a lot after this due to me having a major personal meltdown over the past few weeks. I'm finding it very hard to write right now.

Disclaimer

I don not own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXVI: I got soul but I'm not a soldier**

The following morning I awoke to the smell of breakfast being cooked. I glanced over at the bed to see Vaan was still snoring. I dragged myself up from the floor and went to the bathroom to change from my nightgown into fresh clothes. I have no idea what Penelo had used to wash my dress but it had wiped away every last spatter of blood from its lightweight fabric. Once dressed, I brushed my hair before venturing downstairs.

Penelo was the cause behind the wonderful smell of that had drifted throughout the house. I paused at the kitchen door to greet her good morning before continuing on. I would have liked to have helped her but I've learnt from past experiences she'd just shepherd me out of the kitchen with a flap of her hands. Basch and Balthier were chatting at the dining table. I sat down and waited for their discussion to come to a close before asking Balthier,

"How's Fran doing?" I assumed the Viera hadn't wished to be disturbed this morning as her bedroom door was closed.

"Well. You have quite the knack for potion brewing perhaps you should pursue it. I imagine you'd fare better at it than at combat." He took a sip of his coffee. I wondered if that had been Fran's intention behind giving me her book.

I was about to ask after Ashe but Penelo poked her head out of the kitchen and called to me,

"Breakfast's almost ready. Edie, could you go wake Vaan?"

"On it!" I called back to her and rose from the table.

Vaan was still unconscious when I came across him.

"Hey lazy, get up it's time to eat." I said, roughly shaking him. You could probably drop an anvil on his head and he'd carry on snoring. After much more of my ungentle persuasion he eventually opened he's eyes and grumbled something incoherent, probably a string of curses aimed at myself. "Come on. Get up or I'll eat your breakfast."

"You'd eat it anyway, you're like a starved Seeq in the mornings, lately." He mumbled whilst attempting to drag himself up. I opened my mouth to argue but I realised I was actually eating more in the mornings ever since we had travelled to Raithwall's tomb. I guess it was down to all the training and trekking, it must have built up my appetite more.

I lingered at the doorway and looked down the opposite end of the corridor. Ashe's door was still shut. I paced towards it and lightly tapped on it. Silence followed. I tapped again, this time a little louder.

"Ashe? Penelo's making breakfast if you want some." There was no answer. I walked back to the stairs deciding it was probably best I didn't pester her.

Breakfast was fried cockatrice eggs, toasted bread and plenty of cooked meats all served with cup after cup of strong, dark coffee. I always enjoyed breakfast with the others as there was plenty of banter both friendly and sarcastic to tune into. Balthier was currently winding Vaan up about this thieving techniques and Penelo giggled all the while.

As I was chewing on a mouthful of eggs, Basch piped up and asked me,

"Edie, are you still wanting to go train?" I nodded enthusiastically and hurriedly swallowed my mouthful. I guess he must have asked Ashe for her permission earlier this morning.

"Of course! You sure you're okay leaving Ashe here?"

"Fear not Captain, I will ensure no harm will come of her." Balthier offered, taking a break from goading Vaan.

"She still must be pretty upset. She didn't even want to come down for breakfast." I said pushing my food around with my fork.

"Then perhaps a visit from myself will cease her sadness." The sky-pirate said with an over theatrical sweep of his hand. I rolled my eyes.

"I think it would make her feel worse." I muttered into my coffee cup. His head snapped in my direction and I fought hard to keep the smile off my lips.

"Well, if she doesn't wish to come down I think I will go and take her some food up. She shouldn't go without food, it'll make her feel worse." Penelo picked up her plate and cutlery and walked off over to the kitchen. After she had plated up a portion she drifted through and up the stairs to Ashe's room. When she finally returned she had no plate with her.

"How is she?" Vaan asked as he lent back on his chair so that it rested only on two legs, his hands folded behind his head, the only thing stopping the chair from falling back onto the floor was his foot curled under the lip of the table.

"Tired." Penelo sighed flopping down into her seat.

After we finished our breakfast I helped Penelo wash up the plates, pans and pots, and then gathered my things for my training session.

"We shall return by sundown." I heard Basch inform Balthier as I approached them. "You are ready?" He asked me.

"Yeah." As usual I had been loaded up with all the essentials which included flasks of water, the medic pack and food for the day. We said our goodbyes and left the little town house.

At the city gate Basch stopped at the pen where the hired chocobos were. I stood at his side my attention to the great yellow beasts.

"We're renting a chocobo?"

"The Nebra River is too greater a distance to travel by foot. With a steed we will reach it in but half the time." He informed before approaching Gurdy.

He was wrapped in his cloak again making him look like the grim reaper. I could tell the Moogle was a bit unnerved by his presence, her bat wings would beat quicker and her pom-pom would bob more when she spoke. Money was exchanged and Gurdy fluttered into the pen, picked out a chocobo and fitted it with a saddle and reins before leading it out of the pen and over to Basch. He accepted the reins from the Moogle with a thanks and nod of his hooded head.

I watched as he mounted the great bird with easy and elegance before trotting over to where I stood. He outstretched his hand down to me. I gazed at him dumbly for a moment until it clicked it was so I could be aided to mount the chocobo. I looked down at the stirrup to see he had removed his foot so I could use it.

"I'm riding with you?"

"Unless you wish to rent your own."

"That's probably not a good idea. I've never ridden a chocobo before."

I placed my foot into the stirrup and took a strong grip of his hand before bouncing once on the ball of my foot that was still on the ground, I then pushed my weight onto the stirrup and with Basch's hand to steady me I threw my leg over the bird to mount it. Once I was seated, I was quite surprised how high up I was. I had never ridden a horse before so I unsure just what I had signed myself up for. If it had been a motorbike I would have had no problem.

"_I look like a butch lesbian." I muttered under my breath whilst fiddling with my helmet's chin strap so that it was tucked up and out of the way. The biker's leathers that I had borrowed were that of a boy Jorge knew. The bulky leather hung comically off my slim shoulders making me look like a twig in an American football uniform. _

"_Nice look, marimacho (butch)!" Laughed Joel. He must have heard my mutterings. He was leaning against the white wall of one of the local bar our bunch of bikers liked to gather at. His amused grin was still on his lips as he took a long swig of his beer. _

"_Shut it!" I snapped, gathering the length hair that was spilling from the motorbike helmet that now decorated my head. _

_I swiftly twisted it so that no free strands would escape the bind, before tucking it up into my helmet. I had soon learnt this trick from some of the other bikers as allowing your hair to be savaged by fast, whipping winds left you with incredibly stubborn knots. Thanks to my hair being conceal along with most of my figure and face by protective gear, I was less biker chick and more biker butch. I sighed. I never normally wore the full leathers as in the Spanish heat it just proved unbearably uncomfortable and a bit excessive if we were just travelling the next town over. However, today we were travelling further in land for a motorbike convention._

"_Vamonos!(Let's go!)" Called Juani, one of the other bikers, whilst swinging a leg over his bike. _

_The rest of use gathered our things and mounted the bikes. The feral roar of the engines filled the picturesque street robbing it of its customary serenity. I mounted the Yamaha R1 motorbike much like I would imagine you would mount a horse, placing one foot on the foot post and swinging the other leg round. I had done it that many times I could perform the manoeuvre gracefully even in these oversized leathers. Once perched upon the passenger's seat I turn to look at Joel._

"_See ya! Bring me back a Harley!" He grinned whilst waving lazily._

"_What so you can write off another moto?" I laughed, returning his wave. _

_The other bikes began to pull away from the curb and zoom off. I leant forward and placed my gloved hands on the teardrop shaped petrol tank to balance my weight. Riding passenger on this type of bike wasn't easy or always comfortable as you were higher up than the rider and so in order to not get the blunt end of wind resistance would have to almost tuck yourself around the other person. Hands on the petrol tank, head ducked just above Jorge's shoulders and knees loosely squeezing his hips. We set off shouting, "Adio!(slang for 'goodbye')" to Joel as we rocketed off. Five hours on a bike and god knows how many kilometres of road eagerly awaited us. _

Basch motioned for the chocobo to move with a whip of the reins and we were off moving out of the city at a trot. It was weird to get used to the bird's moving body beneath me and quite a few times I had to steady myself by gripping onto Basch's cloak. Once we were in the Estersand, the strong breeze blew back the hood from Basch's face and he made no move to tug it back over his head. His hair was the same colour as the sands.

"Best hold on, I'm going to push it to gallop." He called back to me before cracking the reins and spurring the bird onwards with a sharp jab of his heels. It quickly picked up the pace. I struggled to accustom myself to the chocobo's muscles beneath me moving in a faster rhythm. I did as Basch had suggested and clung on to his cloak. I watched as the desert scenery drifted past us. Basch handled the bird well and fearlessly guided it around packs of wolves and wild cockatrices. Before I knew it I could see a sparkling blue in the horizon, the Nebra River.

The river was so broad that it almost appeared as if it were the sea, however on the other side was yet another nomad camp. Here, they made money from fishing and allowed passing trades boats to dock. I had only ever been here once with Vaan and Penelo when we had travelled out here to fetch an order from an import boat. Due to the desert's sand trimming its waters I had thought it was a beach at first until Penelo explained otherwise. We had paused in our task to swim in the cool water before returning back to Rabanastre.

Basch halted the chocobo a little way before the nomad village.

"We train over yonder as not to stir attention." He informed, dismounting. He turned and once more offered me his hand.

"Okay." I said with a nod and accepted it.

I leant forward slightly and swung my leg round in order to get off the chocobo. However, I swung it with a little too much force and fell to the floor in a heap. Basch had attempted to steady me in my tumble to the ground but his efforts proved unsuccessful. Somehow, we still had managed to hold hands. I laughed at this and he helped me to my feet.

Basch then secured the chocobo's reins to a willowy dessert tree that was boasting blooms of blossom. He shed his cloak and also draped it over the branch. I dumped the bags on the ground by the chocobo, relieved to no longer have them weighing me down. We moved towards the water and I drew my spear and quickly set myself in a typical en guard stance. My mentor shook his head and approached me. He retrieved the spear from my hands and pierced the soft sand with it so that it stood upright on its own accord.

"We spar not. Instead, I wish to focus on rising your stamina and strength before we worry of your technique." His eyes were scanning the surrounding sands and when he had found what he sort for, he made his way over to it in quick strides.

He picked up a sun-bleached stick that was roughly the same length and thickness of my spear, he tasted its weight by performing a quick series of impressive swings before he deemed it worthy. He effortlessly snapped it in two with his hands and returned to me. He handed me the two sticks well aware of the baffled look decorating my face.

"It is an exercise to increase upper body strength. Wade out into the water 'til it be at your waist." With my perplexed expression still gracing my features I tugged off my boots and did as he instructed.

The river water was slow flowing and wonderfully cool. I had almost felt my hot skin fizzle as it came into contact with it. The silt of the river bed enclosed around my feet each time I took a step on its silken surface. I noticed Basch was following. With the water reaching my waist I turned to face him.

"Now you are to hold both sticks in either hand. With your dominate hand, strike at the water with all your might. With your other hand, hold up the stick in defence."

"You mean like this?" I shifted myself into a stronger stance and brought the stick up in my left hand in defence.

"Yes, though improve your grip. Keep your bicep clenched strong as if ready to absorb an attack." I followed his instructions and he grunted in approval. "Now strike at the water as you would a foe, swoop the attack across your body and allow your torso to follow through, though keep your hips squared and knees loose."

With a strong grip on both sticks and my abdomen held tight I brought the stick down upon the glittering water. The stick hit it with a hard thwack, sending fat droplets to be cast back at my face. I was rewarded with another grunt of approval. I failed to understand how attacking water was going to help me increase my fighting ability. As if we was aware of my train of thought, Basch said,

"It will prove valuable that you are accustomed to fight with two sticks also. If your weapon is ever split in battle you will still be able to defend yourself and maintain your attack. That spear of yours be lightweight and apt for your frame and current ability yet it will fail to defend you from the attacks of sturdier weapons." I nodded. "You are to strike at the water at a steady pace without halting, when I say so you shall increase your pace."

I began striking at the water and by the time I had reached ten hits a low heat began to spread through the muscles of my arms. I attempted to ignore it and pressed on. With each slap of the water more and more splashed back and soaked me until my hair and clothes were heavy with water. Basch barked to increase my pace and I did, my arms screaming in protest. I could only keep this up for a few moments before slumping forward.

"Resting will not build your stamina. Attack." He advised, and I once again set off whacking the water.

After a while I became numb to the slow, steady burn that felt as if my blood had turned to acid and was in the midst of devouring my muscles and bones. My pulse drummed lowly in my ears, it mingled with my panting. I suppose I was thankful I was in the cool water for this exercise as I would have surely passed out by now if I had been on dry land. It was as if the coolness kept my body's want to collapse at bay.

"Switch attack."

"Huh?"

"Change your arms. Attack with your left, block with your right."

I quickly swapped and was surprised that my poor left arm was hardly able to beat the water due to it being so numb. I grunted and attempted a few more times. It slowly loosened up and I was able to continue with more ease. Despite being absolutely knackered I drove myself on. No pain, no gain and all that nonsense.

"Alternate attacks." Basch said. I grit my teeth and alternated hitting the water with each arm. "Do not drop your defence." I did as he instructed. "Better. Keep your pace."

An hour or so passed and he finally signalled for me to stop. It took every iota of willing to keep myself from sagging to the river bed. My whole body was racked with the burning of my muscles. I began to wade back to the sands with shaky limbs. Basch awaited me in the shade of the tree our chocobo was stationed at. He handed me a flask of water when I reached him. I crumbled to the ground and took long, greedy pulls of water from the flask.

"You fared well." He praised.

"I don't feel well." I muttered. It was true, my stomach was stirring warningly and my head pounded. "Maybe I should take a potion." I fumbled for my medic pack.

"No. The potion's healing will erase all of the exercise's work. You must endure."

"Can I at least rest?"

"Very well."

I flopped back onto the sand and peered up at the glimpses of the sun through the cloud of the blossom. The sand was cool, the sun warm and a playful breeze began to dry my garments. I stretched and sighed. Before I knew it, I was being stirred to wake by Basch's hand on my shoulder. I hauled myself up and mumbled an apology. I felt even worse after my momentary nap.

He went back to the river bank to pluck up my spear and approached another tree not far away from the one I sat under. I hauled up my stubborn body and moved over so I stood at his side.

"Observe." He whirled the spear with skill and strength and brought it down upon one of the tree's thick, lower branches. With ease the attack broke the branch from the tree and it landed heavily on the ground, causing a cloud of sand to be up-heaved. "Repeat. Your exercise will be absolute when you succeed to break the branch." He said, handing me my weapon.

I stood in a typical attack stance and brought the spear down on the branch with as much force my battered body could muster. It didn't even chip the smooth bark. I repeated the manoeuvre, all the while under my mentor's scrutiny. He often ordered me to reposition myself and inform me of what I was doing wrong to produce such a weak attack. Eventually, the wood of the branch began to splinter and before long I had managed to bash it into the ground.

"Again." Basch ordered.

"I thought the exercise was finished when I broke the branch?" I asked, raising my spear nonetheless, a new target found.

"It has and therefore I appointed you another task that hap be the same." He replied. I snapped my head round to look at him, had that been a smile I heard in his voice? His face was even and elusive causing me to doubt my ears when I suddenly noticed the corner of his mouth twitch as if he were fighting back a smirk. I smiled, shook my head and refocused my attention back to my wooden enemy.

After many hours of whacking branches, it was once more back to hitting at the water. The sun leisurely sailed along the sky as time passed, oblivious to my efforts. I stumbled back onto the river bank and Basch tossed me my spear I instantly dropped the sticks and caught it with both hands.

"Now it be the time to spar."

I grinned and awaited his attack. He charged at me with a lightweight sword he had chosen especially for the purpose of training me. It was easier to fend off than an axe. I'm sure in time he would show me how to battle against different weapons. I blocked his onslaught of swings and swoops of his sword and even managed to get a few swipes in of my own.

Before long the sun was hanging low, causing the sky to blush a beautiful red. I knew he could have easily have bested me yet he didn't in order to gauge my stamina. Over time, I could feel myself grow tired as my movements became all the more sloppy. He saw this as a fitting point in time to draw the fight to a close. Oddly enough, he didn't end it as he usually did, skilfully disarming me of my weapon and pointing his sword at me (usually done in the same swing), instead he tripped me. I landed flat on my back, blinking a few times in dumb disbelief. He had been so fast I hadn't stood a chance. I frowned as I got to my feet. He noticed and said,

"Your footwork and evasion needs to be greatly improved. We shall focus on it on the morrow, now we make for Rabanastre."

"Sounds like a plan." I smiled approaching him. I was dog tired but content with my progress.

I bent to snatch up the bags. The leather brushed against the raw skin of my palms that had been caused by the wood of the sticks rubbing at my wet palms all day long. I hissed and promptly dropped it. Basch noticed and bowed to retrieve our belongings.

"I will bear them."

"Are you sure? I don't mind, it's just I might need help putting them on is all."

I held out my hands to show him the red sores that decorated each palm. Belias' mark had transformed into more of a deep red where the skin had rubbed away on my right palm. The lines of the pattern were still clear even on my weeping flesh. It made me wonder if it was set so deep down it was etch into my bones. He shrugged on his cloak before donning the medic pack and placing the backpack and my spear upon his back.

"I mind not." He untied the chocobo's reins and the bird chirped with delight it could finally be able to trek again. I went to his side and he paused. "It may be best you ride up front."

"You're kidding? I can't handle this bird." I shook my head.

"You have not to, I shall. You seem drained and so it probably not be wise that you travel at the back, you may fall from the chocobo." He explained. "Not to mention, with your hands riddled with sores you would struggle to cling to me."

A flash of annoyance flared within me. I hadn't _clung_ to him per say, I had merely steadied myself by grasping onto his cloak. However, I was too spent to argue this to him and simply nodded my head. This time I mounted the bird solo and did it well enough. Basch seated himself behind me and arranged the reins around me so that he could still be able to have full control of the chocobo. We set off at a slower gallop this time. The rocking motion of the bird's movements soon lulled my tired self into slumber and without my noticing, I slumped back against my mentor.

* * *

I was pulled from a dreamless sleep by a soft, gravelly voice being breathed into my ear.

"Edie? Edie, wake now. We near the city." In my heavy-lidded state I noticed how his voice managed to pleasantly radiate from his chest and through my back.

My mind spurted awake when it finally fully registered this thought. My head had fallen back against Basch's upper torso so that one ear pressed against the cloak's coarse material. I quickly arranged myself so I was sat bolt upright and tired to quell the feeling of humiliation that was taking over me before it made its mark upon my cheeks. I couldn't believe I had actually fallen asleep! Knowing my luck I had probably drooled on his cloak. I cringed again.

"Are you alright?" He questioned, no doubt noticing my peculiar behaviour.

"I'm fine." I glanced over my shoulder to see his hood had been tugged over his head. Unable to gauge whether he had caught wind of my embarrassment, I returned my eyes forward to see the silhouette of Rabanstre's skyline blotting the horizon.

We returned home just as the last scrap of the sun's light was claimed by the night. There was a relaxed air about the house when we entered. All of the others had eaten and were currently taking their turns in bathing. I found out from Penelo that Vaan and Balthier had past the day by trekking out into the Westersands to check on the Strahl. Fran was growing stronger but was still bed bound and Ashe still hadn't emerged from her quarters yet save for using the bathroom. Penelo herself had spent the day attending to the Viera and cooking up a storm.

With our group members dozing or bathing, Basch and I sat down at the dining table to eat alone. It reminded me of the time many moons ago when I had brought him back to the apartment in the Low Town after our stint in the dungeons and had supplied him with food. Naturally, we ate in silence seems as I was too exhausted to think up conversation and Basch not being one who was good at starting a casual conversation. Tonight's meal was cuts of wild saurian meat spiced with a sticky marinade and served with wild rice.

I concentrated hard to hold my fork in my worn and blistered hand. It seemed to take me an age to be able to grip it properly before I attempted to scoop up some fluffy rice. I slowly tried to bring the food to my lips but my hand was trembling so much from the effort that it shuddered the rice from the fork. I sighed heavily in defeat and discarded the cutlery. I was too spent to bother a second attempt. Basch, who had been watching me with quick glances, paused in his eating.

"You are not hungry?"

"I am hungry it's just I can't even feed myself my hands are in that bad a shape." I muttered, eyeing the delicious looking food before me. It was torture that I was unable to eat it and my stomach growled loudly in want. "Are you sure I can't take a potion?"

He answered me by getting up from his seat and wandering off to the living room, he shortly returned with some items in hand. I noted that none of them was a vial of potion. He pulled up a chair beside me and placed the items on the table. There was a roll of gauze, a pot of cactus salve and a small pair of scissors.

"Your body must accustom itself to your abilities by taking regard of your injuries therefore a potion will undo all effort you had wrought today." He explained holding out his hands, palms up, in gesture that I do the same.

I copied his motions and he inspected each hand before picking up the cactus salve and unscrewing it's top. He placed it back on the table and supported one of my hands by placing one of his own underneath it, palm up. My pulse spluttered momentarily as I felt his calloused fingers loosely curl around my wrist. I looked down and noticed that his fingers could have easily encircled my wrist if they had sort to. I also noticed just how different our colouring was. His tanned skin seemed like a shadow beneath the pallid skin of my outstretched hand. It reminded me of how Jorge's skin tone differed so greatly from my own.

"_Dejeme ver." (Let me see) Jorge said as if he were speaking to a child with a quivering lip. He was referring to the tatty bandages that were woven around each of my hands. I sighed and held them out. I really did feel like a child as of late. _

_It had all happened when I had been zipping around the country lanes on my little moped only to turn a corner to quick and come face to face with a white van. The result of my bad driving was a badly skinned shoulder, palms, elbow and knees. As my luck would have it the moped came out of the crash unscathed. Since then I was pretty useless due to not be able to use my mangled hands. Jorge had even had to help me wash my hair! _

"_Aye! Ten cuidado! Eso duele mucho." (Ow! Be careful! It hurts a lot!) __I yelped as he tugged off the gauze that had fused to my raw skin. He went about applying a mixture of iodine and burn cream before wrapping the wounds up again in fresh bandages. With my shoulder and other injured areas patched up I looked like a half finished mummy. _

At that thought I jerked my hand out of his grip. I glanced up from my raw hands to see him looking at me questionably.

"Sorry. It's just really sore." I mumbled, holding out my hand once more. He carefully cupped my hand again before beginning to apply a thick layer of the balm to my blisters.

My eyes wandered from observing him patch up my hands to peer at his face. His eyes were cast downwards, their attention to my wounds, causing them to be partly veiled by his fair eyelashes. His usual stubble had grown some. He would need to trim it soon to stop it from becoming a full beard. I noticed how his brow was furrowed in concentration causing his scar to crease somewhat. I couldn't help but think it made him look as if he had tripped with a red marker pen in hand. My lips formed a loose smirk at that notion.

Before I knew it, his eyes were on mine. _Crap!_ He had caught me staring at him and what was worse I had froze out of shock from being caught out and could only managed to continue staring at him. I was positive his fingers that were wrapped around my wrist could have easily felt my quickened pulse radiate underneath their touch. Apart from the initial shock of being busted, I failed to understand why my heartbeat seemed to drum so quickly and continued to do so without slowing. He eventually spoke,

"It is done." My eyes fell down from his face to see that my hands had been bandaged up. I slowly dropped them to my lap.

"Thanks."

"You are welcome." He returned, before seating himself back before his plate and resumed to finish his meal. I also placed my attention to my plate and managed to eat with more ease now that the cactus balm had soothed the sting from my hands. I didn't lift my eyes from my food.

* * *

That night, it was Vaan's turn to sleep on the floor. As I lay in the dim beside Penelo listening to her soft, regular breathing, I found my mind kept meandering back to the events of this evening in hope to understand them. I still was unsure why that every time either one of us unintentionally overstepped the boundaries of our student/mentor relationship it always resulted in me reacting that way. I failed to see what had changed between us in-between the time from when we first met to now. Hell, I had had no problem inviting him back to the apartment in the Low Town and I had barley known him then!

Then it clicked, perhaps it was because I was getting to know him better. That had to be it, I knew him better now and I guess I liked what I had seen from him. He was loyal, kind, selfless and brave, all things that I hoped to be. I almost sighed aloud with relief. I could rest assured that these feelings were nothing more than respect for my mentor, my newly acquired friend.

* * *

Morning came round in the blink of an eye and I woke to find I must have overslept as even Vaan was up. I pulled myself out of bed feeling every fibre of my being beg me to reconsider and return to the comfort of the covers. The muscles of my arms were stiff and surged with a dull ache whenever I even thought of moving them. However, my skinned palms were the only thing that seemed to have recovered over night as I felt no pain from them. Curious, I carefully undid the bandages to find that the skin was healing well, it had transformed into a delicate pink shade where the new skin was reforming. I quickly reapplied them and went to go get changed.

Once I had made myself more presentable, I entered the corridor to see Ashe's door still closed and Fran's was open. The shutters of her bedroom window were open, allowing the morning light to flood the room. Fran was drinking yet another cup of the tea I had brewed her the previous day.

"Morning, Fran. You feeling any better?" I asked as I leaned against the doorframe.

"Another day more of respite and I shall be strong again."

"Great. So tomorrow you'll be right as rain."

"Yes." She placed the mug on the bedside table and sat forward further to regard me. "You will go be trained again today also?"

"Yeah. We're going to concentrate on my agility and evasion." I couldn't keep the smile from claiming my lips.

Despite feeling like a wreck, I was actually looking forward to today. Fran nodded before she once more picked up the mug, she did it with such a natural poise as if she were trained in the ways of Geisha. I took this as sign to take my leave and bid her goodbye.

Downstairs, the others were finishing up breakfast. I plonked myself into a seat and began to help myself to porridge sweetened with honey. Penelo drifted through from the kitchen with more coffee and without bothering to ask me (for it would be a pointless question) poured me a generous amount of the dark liquid into a mug.

"Hey guess what? Basch asked me to join you guys today." She beamed.

"Really?" I asked after I had managed to rid my mouth of the sticky oats. Basch gave a single bow of his head as confirmation. "That's great!" Today was getting better by the minute.

"Penelo's natural dexterity will be most helpful in demonstrating how you should move against an opponent." He informed. His eyes drifted to my bandaged hands. "Now has been time enough to allow your muscles to strengthen, you may take a potion when you wish so."

"Thank god. I feel like my arms are going to drop off!" I sighed.

After I had wolfed down my breakfast, I gulped down a potion. It caused the tight pain racking my upper body to be ebbed away before wiping my palms of the ugly sore patches that marred them. I removed my bandages to find the only thing gracing my palm was Belias' glyph. I felt anew and ready for the day ahead. With this newly roused vigour, I snatched up the medic pack, my spear and a backpack of stock we could require for the day.

* * *

Because Penelo had joined us we opted to rent two chocobos. The three of us lingered by the pen waiting to be served when Basch turned to Penelo.

"You are sure you can manage?" His tone was sincere. I was sure any other older person may have inadvertently patronized her due to her age.

"My father taught me how to ride. I know how to handle a chocobo well enough." She answered, politely with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Very well. Edie, you will ride with Penelo."

With Penelo and I on one bird and Basch on another, we set off and trailed along the fine sands of the desert. Penelo proved just as skilled as the knight in managing the chocobo and towards the final stretch of our travels she pushed her steed to rip through the sands. As we galloped past Basch she playfully called,

"Sir Basch fon Ronsenburg! I do challenge thee to a contest of speed- try to keep up!"

I clung tight to her narrow waist and looked back over my shoulder to see if he had risen to her challenge. Through the strands of hair that blotted my vision I saw that sure enough he had spurred his chocobo to dash at a greater speed. The distance between us was closing rapidly.

"Here's coming up fast!" I called to her over the roar of the wind to warn her.

Penelo pushed her bird onwards. It was of a bigger build to the knight's due to it having to carry two people yet that didn't seem to deter from Penelo's ability of handling it. I remembered Vaan had once told me she and Reks often used to race for fun and regardless of the class of chocobo, Penelo would always be the first to cross the finish line. Basch pulled his chocobo up so that the two great beasts were neck and neck.

"Do you deem me creditable of riding steeds now, good sir knight?" She called over to him in the same false haughty voice she had used previously. It could have passed for a noblewoman's tone if it weren't for the fact I noticed the laughter in her voice.

"Yes, though I warn you, you have challenged the wrong person!" He hollered back. He suddenly manoeuvred his bird so it ducked into a craggy passageway that had probably formed when the dry ground had cracked and been ripped apart by the desert's harsh weather. He soon disappeared from sight down the off route track.

"I can't see him!" My eyes rapidly scanned the stretch of sand that surrounded us.

"It's okay, he's trying to find a shorter route. He'd only resort to such a thing if he were unsure he'd win."

She whipped the reins and turned the chocobo's haste up a gear. The sand was cast about the hot desert air as the wide-spanned, powerful feet of the bird kicked up the dirt with every speedy step. The jolt and bounce was impossible to become accustom to at this speed as, as soon I was starting to get a grip on it, Penelo changed the chocobo's pace. She rode well, totally unaffected by the sand, the onslaught of the wind and bobbed up and down in rhythm to her steed's steps.

"I can see the river!" I pointed over her shoulder at the flash of liquid blue, flickering under the sun's rays in the horizon.

"And Basch is nowhere in sight!" She giggled gleefully.

As we neared the river, we tore down a stunted sand dune which was caught in the shadow cast by a small cliff. With the sun blotted out momentarily, I was thankful for the cool air that was now beating against my skin. It was easier to withstand than the fiery blast or the regular air. Out of the blue, a thrilled squawk of a chocobo echoed out. It didn't belong to our own bird.

In a crash of sand and feathers our opponent's steed landed from an impressive jump from the short cliff face and didn't falter in keeping its frantic pace. Penelo had to yank hard on her own chocobo's reins in order for her not to collide with the other beast. Our bird jerked to a stop, the force shoving me into Penelo's back. A noise of displeasure curled from the young girl's mouth and she spurred the shocked chocobo onwards in hope to be able to make up the quickly growing distance that Basch was putting in-between us.

By the time we arrived at the river's edge, Basch had dismounted his chocobo and was securing its reins around a tree branch. Penelo and I dropped down from our bird and I offered to tie its reins to nearby branch. As my fingers secured a knot in the thick strips of leather I watched as she approached Basch.

"You're skill for riding be a gift of the gods, Basch." She praised with a shallow bow of her head.

"I assure you 'tis no gift, merely military training. In battle we were always encouraged to source out different routes." He said, dodging her complement quite artfully. I strolled over to join them.

"Well then, shall we get started?" She asked him with a tilt of her head and a smile.

My lesson began with watching Penelo demonstrate how to move against an enemy's assault. Without a weapon and relying on her reflexes and speed, Penelo dodged Bacsh's attacks with all the grace of a dancer. I marvelled as the knight's blade failed at marking its target every single time.

"Wow." I breathed once he had signalled her to stop. "There's no way I can do that!"

"Once you get your footwork right, it's easy enough." Penelo said.

And so began the tedious exercise of teaching me just how I needed to sidestep attacks, afterwards we concentrated on footwork when attacking. It was late in the afternoon when we finally stopped to rest and have something to eat.

"So you're really gonna take Belias on all by yourself?" Penelo asked after she had finished a mouthful of fruit. Her eyes were focused on the glassy water as she spoke.

"Yep. I guess it's the only way he'll start paying attention to me." I shrugged.

"But he was really tough... Fran says if he wins it will be he who gains control." I could tell she was fretting. Her eyes slowly drifted from the water to her hands which were curled in her lap. It was scary thinking that I could become possessed by the dark presence lurking within me but I didn't want to focus on those anxieties and it made me uneasy that she clearly was.

"Oh quit your worrying!" I playfully pushed her to pluck her from her concern. "With you and Basch as my teachers how can I not win?" I smiled warmly. It seemed to work as I noticed a genuine grin take form on her lips.

* * *

After lunch, it was time for some trickier manoeuvres. Penelo demonstrated how to use cartwheels, somersaults and back-flips to dodge some attacks. I almost laughed at her when she said I would learn these. I had never been one of those girls who used do cartwheels in the school playground so it was no surprise I was going to fail miserably. I attempted a cartwheel and landed in a heap on the sands. After an hour of repeating, I finally got the hang of it. Basch passed me my spear and I had to repeat performing cartwheels whilst still clutching it in my hands. When I finally managed to perform the move correctly, I was so content that I triumphantly punched the air with my fist.

"Okay, that's the easy one out of the way, now let's try a back-flip." Penelo said. Upon noticing my anxious expression she laughed and said, "Don't worry, I promise you won't land on your face!"

She broke down the movements of the complicated manoeuvre into two steps for me to learn, the jump and the tuck. After an hour of practicing them until I could perform them fast and fluidly enough, it was time to put the two together. Basch, who had been stood not far off observing my efforts with his arms loosely folded over his chest, was called forward with a wave of Penelo's hand. He dutifully came forth.

"Basch and I will spot you while you're doing it so if for some reason you do fall we'll support you. There's nothing to worry about, okay?"

I ignored the fact my limbs were slow and tired from all of my practice and the rapidly forming doubts that were washing my mind with apprehension. I loosely shook my arms and legs to try and rid them of the nagging ache and then nodded my head to show I was ready.

They stood either side of me. Each held a hand to my back, just under my shoulder blades.

"Here we go! Remember to jump up, not back and keep looking forward."

I let out a sharp breath of air and motioned my body to perform a back-flip. In the blink of an eye I was back in position on my feet again, it had been so sudden that I had doubted I had actually done it. Penelo praised me and we repeated the move numerous times until I finally got the hang of it so much that only one of them needed to spot me.

Soon, Penelo stopped helping me tuck my legs in and only supported my back and eventually I could perform one without her help, though she stood at my side for reassurance. From this we went on to cover backward handsprings, one-handed cartwheels and somersaults. With my enthusiasm and confidence high I met the exercises head on with an untiring drive.

The afternoon quickly trickled by and it was once again time to test out my newly acquired skills in a round of sparring. As usual, Basch instigated the session and moved to attack me with his lightweight sword and I successfully dodged it, probably without the grace and flare that Penelo owned but still well enough. I suppose you couldn't really teach such qualities to the likes of me. We sparred until the sun brushed the horizon. With dusk upon us we headed back to Rabanastre, this time there was no race.

* * *

Back at the house, Penelo once again retreated into the kitchen to whip something up for the evening meal. Vaan hovered at the kitchen counter chatting with her and stealing scraps of food. It turns out Balthier hadn't wanted any of the others to venture outside the house so as to not to gain any unwanted attention. In order to keep the young thief in the house and out of trouble he had shown him many of the Strahl's manuals and blue prints, which were all wonderfully sketched in styles that ranged from design prints to actual coloured ink drawings. There was page after page of information on the ship's engine, bulkheads and control system to keep Vaan content for the day.

I trudged upstairs to discard my bags and spear when I paused in the hallway. I looked in Fran's room to see that she was out of bed. Better still, not only was she on her feet but she was brushing her snow white locks in front of the mirror. Her hair seemed to cascade down her back even further when it wasn't secured in a high ponytail and without her helm, those feathery sections that framed her face seemed all the more noticeable.

"It worked!" I grinned as I stood at the mouth of her room, my eyes watching the slow, gentle sweeps of the brush over the length of her hair. She turned her head, her hands not pausing in their graceful movements.

"I thank you."

"There's no need to do that, Fran." I shook my head at her.

She returned her attention back to her reflection, yet before I turned to leave her to groom herself, she spoke again.

"Your footsteps are lighter today. Strength, speed and spells are crucial to conquer. The latter one you ought practice."

"How do I practice my magicks, do I have to cast them quicker or something?" She shook her head causing her hair to ripple like white water rapids, my eyes lingered on it.

"Meditation." Was all she offered before falling silent once more.

* * *

Despite her declining to become my tutor, she sure seemed helpful. Perhaps she saw how much effort I had put in since Basch had taken me on as his student, though I still had my doubts. There was a niggling thought in the back of my mind telling me perhaps she had an ulterior motive to give me guidance. I was sure it wasn't malevolent but it was prying nonetheless. I shrugged off the bags and plonked them at the foot of the bed. One thing was for sure, I wasn't doing anything until I had had something to eat and a nice long bath.


	27. Chapter XXVII

Author's Note

This chapter isn't as long as my usual updates but I thought something is better than nothing! Thank you for all your kind reviews, they've really helped!

Okay, Katreda. When I played the game I kept things pretty much how I've written them in here. Basch had an axe or war hammer, Ashe had a broadsword and shield, Vaan any type of sword and shield, Penelo had daggers and spears, Fran had bows (sometimes I'd give her a katana because I though she looked cool with it) and I changed Balthier's terrible gun to a bow as well so each 'party' (I divided them into two parties when levelling them up so I knew who had achieved what) I made would both have a 'tank' (a strong attacker with plenty of HP) and a person in the backline. Magick wise Fran, Balthier and Penelo had every type of magick going and I used them a lot as both mages and healers. I found Ashe was a strong character on the whole and would alternate her attacks with magicks. Esper wise, it's the same, the person who I felt was the weakest when I acquired the Esper would get it.

Zodiark Surivior, I will happily have a look at your fanfiction but I warn you my English grammar is a little iffy due to me speaking Spanish day-in-day-out but I have no idea what D. Grey-Man or Valkyrie Profile 2 is so if I can understand what's going on in the story, so can others.

Edit- Whoops forgot the markers! Thanks Katreda!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXVII:** **With your feet in the air and your head on the ground, try this trick, spin it.**

Fran joined us at dinner yet Ashe was still staying in the comfort of her room whilst she dealt with waves of loss and remorse that no doubt surged upon her. Penelo would take her food up after we had all eaten and were winding down for the night. I was the last one to bathe due to me being too absorbed in the Sainikah spear manual. It had started when I was thumbing through it, looking for any additional tips that could aid me and unintentionally got sucked in by its wonderfully descriptive passages on meditation.

After my bath, I wondered by my shared quarters to see Vaan and Penelo were still up and indulging in a game of cards.

"Edie, come join me. I'm losing to Vaan of all people!" Penelo called as I hovered in the doorway. They were both sat cross-legged on the crumpled covers, playing cards fanned out in their hands and a selection scattered before them.

"Can't. I've got to go practice." I sighed, lifting the Sainikah manual up as indication.

"Gods! You're even more boring than usual." Vaan said, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to the cards in his mitts. I noticed there were two cards where they shouldn't be.

"Don't worry, Penelo, you're only losing because Vaan's cheating."

"Wha? No I'm not!"

"Well then why are they two cards sticking out from under your butt?" I smirked before strolling along the corridor.

From the top of the stairs I heard Penelo's wrath as she hotly shouted,

"You little swindler, give me them!" No doubt a clip around the head had been dealt with her raised voice.

I tittered as I descended the stairs. There was the scent of fresh coffee in the air and I fought the urge to drift into the kitchen to investigate further. Instead, I passed the dining room to see Balthier, Fran and Basch were seated and talking over mugs of coffee. I moved on through to the living room and flopped down onto the sofa. Despite its ragged state it was surprisingly comfortable.

_Alright, here it goes_. I sat cross-legged and placed my book at my side, the pages on meditation folded at the corner for quick reference. Then, I concentrated on slowing my breathing and closing my eyes. I sunk down in my mind and began to concentrate on the ice spell. I figured since I had owned this magick the longest I'd be able to manipulate it easier.

* * *

It was late when the sky-pirates and the knight retired. Basch wandered through to the living room to find that its light crystal was activated. He paused when he noticed someone was occupying the room. It was Edie. He suddenly recalled Fran mentioning that she had advised the girl to improve her magicks through meditation. He briefly pondered just how long she had been sat there locked within her mind. It had must have been quite some time as she looked haggard. He noticed her eyes fluttered as she tried to gain a deeper grip on her mind and keep it in her grasp.

He quietly approached the armchair that neighboured the sofa and sunk down into it. His body desperately sort sleep yet he decided to ward it off just a little while longer. He settled on the idea that he would stir her from her session in another half-an-hour's time so that she could go to bed and be well rested for the day ahead tomorrow.

He attempted not to watch her at first but he soon gave way to his stirring interest and allowed his eyes to graze over her.

* * *

It became harder and harder to concentrate as my mind grew all the more weary. With me losing grip on my focus too many times, I decided it was best not to push it and drew my meditation to a close. I slowly withdrew from the depths of my mind and sat with my eyes closed for several long minutes as I came back to the living room. The ticking of the old grandfather clock swam forward first; I attempted to match the beat of my heart to its ticking. Then came the muffled rattle of a pipe somewhere deep within the house, followed by a creek of a floorboard over head. I slowly opened my eyes, enduring the sting of the light crystal's glow in slow, long blinks. I continued to keep my breathing relaxed despite my body flooding with a flurry of nausea and a deep, dull ache assaulting my head. It was like I was suffering from a bad hangover.

"Edie? Are you alright?" Came a soft voice beyond the curtain of hair that had flopped down the left side of my face.

I moved a shaky hand to draw it back. As my fingers brushed against the edge of my brow, I noticed it was adorned with a slick of sweat. I ignored it and as I tucked the hair behind my ear, I slowly turned my head. Basch was moving from the armchair he had been sat in to kneel at my side.

"I'm.. fine... I think." I managed to shape the words with a sluggish tongue. My voice rang too loudly around my head, as if it were hollow.

"That I doubt. You over did it." He said kindly as he moved to stand.

He stretched his hand down to me. Annoyance flared in me at his words. I feebly pushed his hand aside and proceeded to pull myself up on wobbly legs. I knew he was right but that didn't mean I needed his help, I wasn't enduring one of his lessons. Hell, I had only pushed myself so I could actually be half decent in a fight.

I moved to take a step and quickly crumbled. Basch, who had been hovering at my side, swiftly supported me, weaving his arm around the front of my waist. I brought my hand up instinctively to grab hold of him to steady myself and seized the strange cut of colourful leather that decorated the gap in his jacket. Was I really that weak? I grumbled a curse and gave into my body's want to seep to the floor and slumped. My lethargic fingers loosened their grip on the piece of leather and fell a few inches further down his chest. I paused from cursing myself as I noticed they had chosen to linger on the exposed skin of his torso. His body's warmth radiated along my fingers and the drum of his heartbeat accompanied it. It was steady, regular, strong. A small, bitter laugh fell from my lips.

"It's not fair... Your heartbeat is so.. different to mine." I muttered, well aware of the fact I probably sounded crazed for saying such a random thing.

He carefully allowed me to sink to my knees, folding down as he did so. He knelt on one knee like he would if he'd been expected to greet royalty. I was defiantly not royalty, I wanted to scoff at this but my amusement was drowned out by the swim of my head as it attempted to recover from my over doing it.

I slowly removed my hand from him and placed it on the floor to stop me falling forward and on to the dusty rug that stretched out in the centre of the floorboards. I lent some of my weight on it so I didn't flop either back or forth. Confident I wasn't going to wilt, I allowed my head to hang. This resulted in my hair falling about my face and masking my vision yet again. At least it hid me from the concerned stare that had probably taken a hold of his features.

"You need to rest." His hand had moved and was placed on the centre of my back, his fingers spread wide. The other took a gentle grip of my shoulder. "Sit back, slowly. I will aid you." He supported me as I used all my strength to sit back on my heels.

I noticed my breathing was more erratic and laboured. Great, just what I needed, I was going to pass out. With thick sections of hair still veiling most of my face I looked through the mass of black strands to see that indeed his eyebrows had pinched together. I also noticed my vision was blurring. I knew it would be a waste of energy and breath but I couldn't help but say to him,

"You frown.. too.. much... Basch." I promptly passed out after these words.

* * *

I awoke the next day curled up on the sofa, a thin blanket draped over my body. It took me a few long minutes to register just where I was. There was a weak throb still attacking my frazzled head but I ignored it and gingerly pulled myself up. The room was empty and I could smell the scent of breakfast being cooked, it was accompanied with the clatter of cutlery and murmur of morning voices. Unsure whether my legs would bear me, I held onto the sofa's arm for support as I rose to my feet. It hadn't been the struggle I had endured last night causing me to believe it had just been fatigue that had claimed me and not anything more sinister. I stumbled forward a few steps, my limbs slowly shifting from sluggish to fully functioning.

When I padded through to the dining room, I saw the gang was up and enjoying their morning meal. As usual Ashe still wasn't present.

"Edie, you're wake! How are you feeling?" Penelo fussed as she abandoned her breakfast and came to greet me.

"I'm okay, I guess." I mumbled, feeling stupid for last night's actions. The book had warned me to perfect my skill over a series of sessions though I had been so sure I was on the verge of a breakthrough with my ice spell that I ignored it completely.

"Basch told us what happened. You sure you're alright? Perhaps you should take a potion or something." She pestered.

"I'll be fine after I've eaten some of your yummy cooking." I smiled and slumped into a chair opposite the sky-pirates.

Balthier had finished his food and was sipping coffee. I could tell some sarcastic quip was dancing on the tip of his tongue desperate to be spoken. It didn't take long.

"I had to admit it was quite the shock to see you and the Captain sharing quarters."

"Going to spread some more salacious rumours, Balthier?" I sighed, picking up my fork.

"Well what do you expect when you give me such sufficient material?" He chuckled.

I glanced over to Basch to see a look of confusion flicker across his face, as he returned his attention back to his plate. It would seem his was clueless to Balthier's attempts at teasing me. I suppose I should be thankful but there was no way I was going to be the one to explain just what the sky-pirate was insinuating, it would probably cause him to blush.

After breakfast, I began arranging my supplies for the day ahead, in my room. As I was stooped over the medic pack stowing more items and stock in it, Basch took a few steps into the room and asked,

"You are sure you wish to go train today?"

"I'm fine." I straightened and turned to face him. "Besides I need more training anyway and now's the best time to do it."

"Very well, though I ask you don't push yourself too hard."

We rode all the way to the Nebra river once again. Today, Penelo had opted to stay at the town house so she could see to it Vaan wasn't causing mischief. She was also determined to get Ashe to come out of her room for more than five minutes. I actually felt thankful to be out in the sunshine and trekking along the soft sand dunes on our chocobo, it sure beat being cooped up in a stuffy town house. We stopped at the usual spot.

"So what's today's lesson?" I asked over my shoulder as I paced away from the chocobo and our supplies, towards the river.

"There is no lesson." I turned on my heel feeling a look of confusion take hold of my features. As he neared me he said, "We shall put all you have learnt into practice. Your spear." He held both of his hands out to gesture I give him my weapon. I complied and drew it from its strap. I watched as he held it almost like a javelin and threw it. My eyes followed it as it arced in the air and landed with an audible thump a good distance away from where we stood. I tried not to let my jaw hang in awe. It had been an extraordinary display. Oblivious to my wonder, Basch paced forward until he was a little less than halfway in-between where I stood and my weapon. He drew his sword and turned. "You are to attempt to pass me and get to your weapon. Once you have claimed it, use it to retaliate." I nodded.

I guess this was how we were going to test my strength, speed and stamina. He awaited me unmoving, he made a convincing statue. I let out a few measured breathes and then dashed towards him, trying to keep my footsteps quick and light like Penelo had taught me. He swung his sword at me as I neared and I managed to dodge it well enough, yet as I moved to pass him he whipped round and blocked my path once more. This was harder than I had anticipated. It went like this for a while, me ducking and diving from his blows and all the while desperately trying to reach my spear. As I went to side step a series of attacks he had unleashed upon me, a hot sting assaulted my arm. I swerved away before glancing down to see a flow of blood leisurely snaking its way down my arm. I grunted and quickly clapped a hand over my injury in hope to stem the blood flow whilst all the while pushing the swirl of queasiness away from my stomach. It hurt so much I actually felt myself sag a little. I took deep, slow breaths of the hot desert air.

"You are injured?" Came my mentor's voice as he approached.

"I'm okay. It's just a scratch." I answered snapping my head up when I felt his hand cover the one that was clutched to my upper arm.

"Allow me to see." I slowly removed my hand, noticing that my palm was now completely red. "Your wound is shallow. You should be able to continue without being cured." I had thought as much as the sting was slowly fading into a dull throb. I guess I had panicked at the sight of all that blood, weird how the smallest cuts bled the most. "When you gain superficial wounds in battle, never pause to regard them as your opponent will easily finish you."

"Right."

We returned back to where we had left off and after a good hour of using all of my evasion techniques I finally managed to push past him and dash to my spear. As soon as the smooth bamboo of its pole was grasped in my hands I whipped round and swung it, well aware Basch was charging sword ready at my exposed back. His sword met my spear with a loud clash. I couldn't help but grin- I had actually done it.

We continued to spar for a while before the whole exercise was repeated again and again, each time I was managing to get to my weapon quicker. We took the time to stop for a rest when the sun was high over head. Sat in the shade of the desert tree with my stomach full, I absentmindedly rubbed at the dry blood that encrusted my arm. It flaked away under my fingers. I was still in need of a lot more training but I couldn't help but remember Fran's suggestion that I also try to improve my magick abilities.

"Basch?" I glanced over at him to see he was sat with his back against the tree's trunk, his eyes set on the flickering blue of the river's water. I could tell he wasn't admiring its beauty. He was locked in his thoughts yet again. He seemed to snap out of his reverie quick enough and turned his head to regard me. "I want to meditate again. I'm pretty certain I can get a better grip on the ice spell. I was wondering if you'd mind making sure I don't overdo it again."

"Very well." I thanked him and set myself into a comfortable position ready for meditation.

I began the meditation by closing my eyes and slowing my breathing whilst attempting to focus on nothing else but nothingness until my mind was ready to being. After a few long minutes of concentration, I finally began the session and drew up the ice spell from the bowels of my mind. I focused on it, turning it this way and that and each time finding a slither of understanding seep from it. It was incredibly hard to keep the spell in my grasp as it was only really ever used for a few fleeting seconds when I summoned it in battle. This was why I had been so spent last night as I had used up all my energy in trying to keep it in the focal point of my mind.

I don't know just how long I was locked in this strange state before I felt a solid hand being gently placed on my shoulder. I was stirred further by Basch's characteristic deep voice rumbling through my wakening mind. I slowly pulled myself from its depths and focused on his voice to guide me back to consciousness. Apparently, most Sainikah preferred to use the chiming of a bell to stir wakefulness after meditation.

My eyes took their time to open, recalling just how much the dim light of the living room's light crystal had hurt last night. To my surprise, though it took a few blinks to grow accustom to the sun's rays. The light lacked the pain that I had experience the previous time. I turned to see Basch at my side, his hand still on my shoulder. His eyes were tracing my features, checking I was alright.

"I'm okay." I confirmed.

He removed his hand and rose. I copied his movements, relieved when I wasn't knocked back to the sands by an onslaught of dizziness. Confident I wasn't going to pass out we once again went back to sparring.

* * *

That night, after the usual routine, Basch was seated in the armchair in the living room. The house had reverted back to an almost noiseless state as its inhabitants were settling for the night. He glanced across at the sofa to where Edie sat. She was once again deep in meditation. He was toying with the idea of waking her from it as she had started the session well over an hour ago. He had practiced meditation also when he was working his way up the ranks of Rabanastre's royal army and knew just how tiring it could be.

His eyes wondered over the young woman, slowly taking in her features. There was defiantly something about her that kept niggling at his attention though he couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it was her complexion. There were very few people with dark hair in these parts, it was considered more a trait of the Rozzarians. Either way, he couldn't help but notice just how much he was warming to his student. Her determination was praiseworthy, even if it got the better of her at times.

He noticed her eyes flickered and slowly start to open and he allowed her a few moments to gain her wits before asking her on how she had fared. A joyful smile danced on her lips as she told him,

"I did it! I actually did!"

"Then congratulations is due. Well done." He felt his lips curl into a loose smile at her delight.

"Well what do you know, you actually _can_ smile, Basch!" She chuckled. He had to admit it had been quite some time since a smile had graced his lips, so much so that the expression felt strange on his features. "You should do it more often, it's far better than that serious face you always use." She teased. "Anyway, I should let you get some sleep." She rose from the sofa, he noticed her sway a little and also got to his feet, his smile crumpling into a look of concern "Ugh! Shouldn't have stood up so fast." She mumbled and grasped the sofa arm. He moved to her side in case she faltered.

"Are you alright?" She lifted her head to look up at him, a small smile still on her lips.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Basch." He gathered she was saying this to disarm his concern though it didn't work.

"Should I escort you to your quarters?"

"Only if it'll stop your worrying." She sighed, laying a hand on his forearm to steady herself. She suddenly hesitated as if regretting her boldness. He noticed a delicate pink tinge the top of her cheeks. He pretended he wasn't aware of it and asked,

"Shall we?"

With her taking hold of his forearm with one hand they unhurriedly walked from the living room, up the stairs and to the door of her quarters which she shared with the two teenagers. They hovered at the door to say their goodnights before he turned and went back down the stairs towards his own makeshift bed.

* * *

The next day, I didn't rise straight away. Instead, I silently lay there, eyes cast towards the sloping, wooden ceiling and mulled over a thought that had been present since last night. Was I really ready to face Belias? I was aware my training with Basch was nowhere near complete but I had enough understanding of what was needed to face a fight solo. Yet was it enough? Our stay here in Rabanastre was quickly running out and I needed for this matter to have been dealt with before we moved onto wherever Ashe's quest led us next. According to Penelo, Ashe herself was slowly stirring from her grief-stricken state and I was sure as soon as she did fully recover she would be cracking the whip at us again in want to be moving forward.

I huffed a sigh and lurched up and out of bed and into the bathroom. Once presentable, I made my way downstairs with heavy feet. Everyone minus Vaan and Ashe were up and eating breakfast.

Once more at the Nebra river, I dismounted the chocobo whilst Basch secured it's reins to the blossom bearing tree. I paced forwards enjoying the crisp sound of the sand shifting under my foot.

"You seem... unfocused." Though Basch's voice was soft I almost jumped out of my skin. I had been too caught up in my decision to notice he stood at my side.

"Yeah.. about that. I was thinking now might be a good time to face Belias."

"You are serious?" The tone he had used had been sceptical.

"Yes. You don't think I'm ready, do you?"

"No, I do not." He confirmed somewhat gruffly, as if his first response had fallen upon deaf ears.

"There isn't enough time. I need to do this now." There was a heavy pause as I felt his eyes searching my profile for any signs of wavering in my decision, when he found none he eventually spoke.

"You had already decided on this before we left." I could still feel his eyes on me.

"Yes." I nodded, my eyes still on the slowly churning water of the river. "I didn't say anything because if I told you, you would have tried to convince me otherwise or have refused to come."

"My being here is that much of an importance to you?"

"If I fail.. He will gain control, posses me. I don't want to think of what he would be capable of or what he would do if it happens so I wanted you here to stop him if such a thing happened."

"I see." Was his response. A few more moments drifted silently by us before he piped up again. "Very well, though I warn you, I will nay stand idle if I feel your life is threatened. If I am to be a part of this duel it is on terms of my own."

"Alright then, it's settled. This happens now."


	28. Chapter XXVIII

Author's Notes

Just thought I'd upload another chapter before I move house as I'm not sure how long it will take to sort of the internet connection in my new house!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXVIII: Army Of Me**

I turned and paced away from the river edge and stood in the centre of the vast stretch of sand, my back to my mentor. After a few measured breathes, I closed my eyes and sunk into the depths of my mind where my dark passenger was surely dwelling.

_Belias, I'm ready. Come and fight me._ I called out in my mind.

In a flash of raw heat and power, a bright red glyph encircled my feet. It glowed eerily as it pulsed with a supernatural light. It was as if it had a heartbeat of its own. I stumbled back a few steps, my eyes never leaving the familiar design etched upon the sands. In a blink of an eye it vanished and in its place, stretching to his full height, was the beast himself. He was far grander than I recalled and my heart fluttered desperately like the wings of a dying bird. Perhaps I had been too hasty.

I squared my shoulders and peered up at him. I peered past the stature, past the ram horns, past the wool-like mane and placed my unwavering glare upon the mask that protected his top head. I held it there and with shaky breathes and a trembling hand I reached up and behind me to grasp the pole of my spear. His spear was thrice the size of my own and already drawn.

Without word or warning he swung the hefty weapon as I made a move to draw my spear. The flat face of the detailed spear head collided with my torso and sent me skittering across the sands. I eventually rolled to a stop, face up, squinting at the cobalt blue of the unblemished sky that was somewhat shrouded by the upturned sands shifting down to the ground. I attempted to draw breath but it felt like my ribcage was in a vice. I lay there gasping and blinking when all of a sudden I heard the ground rumbled as it shook with each quick step the Gigas took towards me.

I scrambled to a crouch, keeping low as he was already swinging his weapon as he came stampeding towards me. I ducked and rolled, missing one attack yet despite his size he was swift as, as soon as one attack had been dealt another quickly followed. I failed to dodge or block it and was once more sent flying along the desert's floor. The rough sand quickly rubbed the skin of my arms and legs raw. I rolled up onto my feet all the while coughing and spluttering for air but only managing to breathe in the dust and dirt of the desert. I willed myself to be calm, scrambling around in a panic wasn't going to win the fight.

I jumped up to my feet again and brought up my weapon to defend myself from yet another blow. A protection spell flashed into my mind upon his spear's impact on my own. Despite the almost invisible barrier absorbing a lot of the blow I was shoved back quite a distance from the sheer force of it. My sliding feet dispersed the sands yet again and they sprayed out in all directions like splashes of water. One thing was clear, there was no way any of my physical attacks would harm the Gigas.

I continued to duck and dodge his never-ending assault all the while my mind was whirling, attempting to draw up a plan on how to proceed. I blocked another swoop of his spear, the strength of it slamming me to the ground. His movements were powerful but performed almost leisurely. I grit my teeth as I pulled myself up. Blood was now oozing from where the skin on my arms had once been, the red flesh was speckled with flecks of sand. I summoned the Mist to come forth and heal me all the while my mind was ticking. He stood a far distance away, observing me. I could have sworn there was a smirk etched upon his helm. He was toying with me!

_Hark, rabbit-hearted girl for I speak this to you only once! You shall never rule me as Raithwall did for you are weak in both body and spirit!_ He roared at me before charging forward yet again. My hands tightened their grip on my weapon so much so that my knuckles became tight and pallid. I could feel my teeth grinding together and my heart thump fiercely out of anger.

"You will obey me Belias! Raithwall is gone, I'm your master now!" I snarled through locked teeth, whirling my spear around so I was in an attack stance.

I surged forward to meet him head on. My footsteps were slow and clumsy due to the sand shifting under foot. Before the beast could swing his spear I slammed my own against it using all the strength and anger within me. I smacked the spear downwards so that it hit the sands. With Belias still clutching its pole he was now stood stooped for a few seconds. As quick as a flash, I whipped my spear upwards to collide with his jaw. His hume-like set of hands was quick to react and batted me away with a swift punch to my own jaw. I stumbled backwards, the metallic taste of blood seeped into my mouth. I turned my head and spat out the foul taste. Thick, reddish droplets splattered onto the parched ground.

_I tire of toying with you, girl._ He growled, his beast-like claw touching the jaw I had struck. It probably hadn't been enough to actually injure him though it was defiantly enough for him to regard it.

He soon returned it to his side and then his hume-like hands began to sweep in a graceful gesture. The blood red glyph returned, this time it encircled the beast himself. The air grew hotter with each passing second until it scorched my lungs with each breath. My heart shuddered as it repeatedly slammed into my ribcage as if sorting escape. _This was the fire attack he had used on us in the tomb!_ The fiery blast surged upon me like a molten wave. I would have yelped if I could have drawn a proper breath and instead, I brought my arms up to shield my face from the blaze's onslaught.

Although it undoubtedly came, it surprisingly lacked the maddening heat I had experience the last time. In fact, it was pleasantly cool, as if someone had just turned on the air conditioning. I blinked a few times and peered through a gap in-between my arms to see that the flames of heat were licking at a quickly melting but incredibly thick wall of ice. The centre of the wall had transformed from a frosty opaque to transparent due to it taking the blunt of the heat.

I slowly lowered my arms and allowed the dumbfound look to remain on my features. Had I just conjured up a thick slab of ice to protect me? By the time Belias' attack waned the sheet of ice was as thin as a sheet of paper. I slowly extended my arm and allowed my fingertips to lightly glide over the cool surface. It cracked and shattered under my touch and the whole wall fell to the ground like shards of liquid glass. A small smile now replaced my look of amazement. I had manipulated the ice spell without even concentrating on it. It had happened out of instinct. My smile grew wider.

If the Gigas had been unnerved by my little trick he didn't show it. He quickly charged towards me, closing the distance between us with ground rattling steps. I held my spear with one hand and grasped if I were going to throw it like a javelin. I guess now was a better time than any to experiment with the benefits of hours of meditation had brought. After all, Belias was a fire demon so he was bound to have some weakness to his polar opposite element.

I ignored the beast dashing towards me, desperate to crush me, and focused on the ice spell and my spear. The bamboo pole soon was encrusted in a thick layer of ice which spread from the hand that held it right to the tip of the spear head. It looked deadly beautiful coated in the glassy layer. I hurled it at him with all my strength. I stumbled back a step as I watched it rip through the air and embed itself into Belias' shoulder with a loud thump. He roared in pain and with his clawed hand snatched at the offending spear and yanked it from his flesh. It came away with a sickly crunch. I noticed the blood struggling to grip on the slick ice that covered spear. Enraged by my little trick, he threw my weapon over his injured shoulder. It landed on the sands a fair distance away. Even though I quickly regretted throwing my spear I suddenly grasped by a strong sense of déjà vu. The enemy was between myself and my weapon like the sparring exercise Basch had used yesterday. I conjured the ice spell again, this time manipulating it into the form of a spear.

_Good. You have found your fight!_ He chuckled before darting to meet me head on.

Battling Belias was far more of a challenge than sparring with Basch. His height and girth worked in his favour as he repeatedly blocked my path to my weapon. I used the ice spear to help me defend myself against his attacks. Many a time it would shatter and I had to swiftly conjure another. Belias was growing wise to my trick and kept destroying my makeshift weapon with his own or a round of fire spells.

As I was about to produce another frosty spear he quickly unleashed that devastating fire attack. I attempted to change what I was conjuring in hope I could put up another ice barrier to protect me but I failed and the ice spell fizzle out to nothing due to my mixed commands. The full force and heat of the attack smacked me in the face, robbing me of breath and even thought as the only thing I could concentrate on was just how excruciating the heat was. Just when I thought I was on the cusp on unconsciousness, the attack stopped.

I stood there, my limbs twitching in effort to keep myself standing. I swayed a little despite my efforts and crumpled to the ground. I was in desperate need to heal myself with a spell but the pain was far too distracting. As I fumbled in the medic kit for a potion, Belias' hoofed foot collided with my stomach and the kick sent me travelling across the sand once again. I finally rolled to a stop, my stomach felt as if it were in my throat. I gasped and spluttered for air as my hand once again delved into the bag in search of a potion. He loomed over me, his huge frame blocking out the harsh sunlight. He raised his spear overhead. My eyes widened and I willed myself to perform a roll just in time to dodge the deviating blow. It up heaved the sands causing them to rain down on my raw skin. Another kick sent me flying. Now he was definitely toying with me.

_Bah! Here I thought you might actually give me a challenge! _He spat. _No matter. I will end this now!_

He suddenly disappeared causing my heart to rocket. He had returned back into my mind, he was going to gain control! I frantically grasped for a potion whilst delving after him into the depths of my mind. His power was expanding, radiating from him as bit by bit he claimed my mind. I could feel it happen, my power and control ebbing away. I frantically called for him.

_Belias! This isn't over! You can't do this, I won't let you!_ I attempted to sound threatening but due to fear gripping me hard it came out like a pathetic whining.

I heard him chuckle. I whirled around and around in my own head much like a terrified canary flapping about its cage in an attempt to locate him. He was in his usual dark corner, his power radiating out from his allocated spot like dark tendrils of smoke. I had given up attempting to draw the cork from the potion bottle by now as it was obvious I needed to focus my entire psyche inwards to stop him.

I pushed all my conscious thought on him and once again decided to use the ice attack to stop him. Summoning it and raining it upon the Gigas was all the more difficult to do in the space of my mind and I had to stop a few time to refocus my attempts. All the while his control, his power, was devouring the fringes of my thought.

The ice was stark contrast against his dark power, it almost looked cleansing. I pushed it upon him, weaving it around and around his consciousness in hope I could stop him.

* * *

Basch watched with a breath caught in his lungs as the Gigas had vanished. He tore across the sands stopping only when he came to the burnt and unmoving body sprawled out on the continual stretch of ochre. Her skin was a raw ruby red, her green dress blackened in places and even sections of her long hair had been singed by Belias' fiery blast.

"Edie?" Long moments passed as he waited in hope to gain some kind of response. She remained motionless. He quickly cast a cure spell on her so that he could actually lay him hands on her without causing her any unnecessary pain. "Edie! Awaken now!" He gently shook her by her shoulders.

Silence and stillness followed, only the babble of the nearby river and the rustle of the playful desert breeze greeted him. His eyes darted over her features for any sign that she had heard him. When none came panic began to bubble up from his stomach. Belias was doing his best to gain control of her and there was nothing he could do. He remained knelt by her side his eyes never wavering from her face when suddenly he noticed her frown and her eyes fluttered as if she was regaining consciousness.

"Edie?" He asked softly, his hand hovering at his axe as a precaution. There was no knowing just who was in control of her body now and he very much doubted the Gigas would show restraint if it had indeed been victorious. A heavy pause passed as the girl before him slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. They were unfocused and there was a glimmer of something behind them that set the knight on edge. Another blink, this time it was a longer one as her hand slowly came up to rub her temple as if wishing to be rid of a niggling headache. "For god's sake answer me, Edie." Basch said though there was no annoyance in his even tone.

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes once again and this time whatever had been tainting them had gone. She looked at him for a few silent seconds before it became clear to her just why he was so troubled. A blissful smile bloomed on her lips as she said,

"I-I did it.. I've gained control of him." Basch pushed out a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding. He was about to straighten himself when Edie lent up and threw her arms around him, causing him to halt in his movements. "I did it and it's all thanks to your training, Basch!" She gleeful exclaimed. He was too thrown off by the embrace to brush off her compliments and realised just how rigidly he was holding himself. It did seem somewhat improper that he and his student were alone and cinched in an embrace in the middle of the desert. However, before he could even fully react to the outward show of gratitude she withdrew herself from him and rose from the ground uttering, "Thank you."

He followed her motions. He could tell by the way she held herself something had defiantly changed, it wasn't just mere confidence she had gained there was power about her too.

* * *

I glance back at my spear which was still lying on the sands where Belias had flung it to. I turned back to Basch and attempted to keep all of the delight I was feeling under wraps.

"Watch this."

I strutted over to my weapon and snatched it up. I felt the strongest I had ever been thanks to toppling Belias off his little throne he had been craving out of my consciousness. I fleetingly wondered if this strength could return with me when I went back to my own realm. I cast aside these wayward thoughts and went to summon the Giga's power.

"Belias, lend me your spear!" In that instant my own spear was entwined with thick Mist that's amber colour wound like a vine around the weapon. Then, in a flash of heat, my own spear had been replaced with a scaled down version of the beast's spear. It was far heavier than my weapon and I so I had to bear its weight in both hands. I smiled as Basch's eyebrows rose in intrigue.

"You truly have him under thumb." He said with a slight smile as I approached him.

"It's great, huh?" I grinned. I whirled the weapon whilst wishing away Belias' power. The spear regressed back to my standard bamboo one and I stored it on my back in its usual place.

"That it is." Another smile graced his face. I was beginning to grow fond of them etched upon his lips.

* * *

We had spent the rest of the day testing out my newly acquired power through training exercises and sparring. There was still a great deal of things I needed to learn in order to wield my weapon well. When we once again returned to our town house we were greeted by none other than Ashe who was sat at the dining room table with the same poise she would use as if sitting on the throne.

"Ashe!" I quickly abandoning my bags and entering the room. "It's good to see you out and about."

"Highness, you are well once more." Basch entered.

"Yes, which means we must discuss our quest ahead as well as just what to do with the Dawn Shard. I have lingered here time enough." She said pushing aside a mug that had been placed at her elbow, its contents probably cold and forgotten.

"As you wish."

"If I may, Princess, I would dare say that time for such converse perhaps be best left 'til the morrow." Balthier said as he swaned into the room. No doubt he had been eavesdropping. "We have yet to dine and it would seem the children are already quite bushed."

"They need not be present. We will adjourn after supper." Ashe rose and made to leave yet Balthier quickly block her path.

"Ah, though children they may be they aren't without their talents, their input might be needed."

"He speaks sense, Majesty." Basch humbly agreed.

"Fine. Tomorrow at dawn's first light we will talk the matter over." And with that she left.

"Should be entertaining." Balthier smirked, "Speaking of which, just how are you fairing in training this one, Captain?"

"That's none of your business, Balthier." I hissed sharply before Basch could answer him. "But if you must know, I finally have the Esper under my control."

"Is that so? Pity, I do hate it when Fran's right." He muttered the last part under his breath as he turned away.

"What?" I wasn't keen that I had become a topic of discussion for the pair. It almost sounded as if they had had a wager ridding on me. "What do you mean by that?"

"Best you ask her." He left.

I did just that, I found Fran in her quarters. She was perched on the end of her bed tightening the string of her bow. I hovered at the doorway watching her long fingers skilfully work the twine.

"You are stronger, more powerful." She stated not lifting her eyes from her task. I shifted my weight from one foot to another before posing my words.

"I managed to defeat Belias today."

"No surprise, is that."

"Why do I feel like this whole thing was some sort of test set by you?" I ventured a step into the room.

"You do not think it strange the way you are?" She questioned, her head finally lifting. Her gaze was penetrating to say the least.

"What do you mean?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Seeing things others cannot, manipulating spells, your talent for potion lore. There are nay many Humes who can."

"So you wanted me to fight Belias to prove this?"

"No Hume, no matter what power or skill they own could have defeated such an entity alone."

"So if I'm not a Hume then just what do you think I am, Fran?" I could hear a biting tone rise in my voice. I was growing tired of her skirting about the matter if I was going to be found out I'd rather she had just said so.

"I know not." She said with a flick of her ear, probably her way of shrugging, "I know only that you hide away a part of yourself and keen I would be to see it." She rose and elegantly positioned herself into her archer's stance. She pulled the string of the bow back, testing it tautness. When content with her results she lowered it and her eyes once more were upon me.

"Look, I don't know what you think I'm hiding but I'm not. I don't know how or why I can see the Mist and I only managed to defeat Belias because Basch has been helping me become a better warrior."

"So be it." She said, carefully laying her bow beside the wall next to her quiver of arrows. "I only act as my elders did preach upon to me: 'It be wise to be wary'."

* * *

The following morning the dining room table was boasting a magnitude of good cooking. Everything you could possible wish for breakfast was gracing the table from fresh fruit to fried bread.

"I don't know when we'll next get a good meal so I thought I ought make something all will enjoy." Penelo had bashfully justified after we had praised her efforts. Once we had all eaten, Vaan and I helped the budding cook wash-up so that the meeting that Ashe wished for wouldn't be delayed further.

I returned to the dining room, finishing drying my hands on my dress. Ashe sat at the table the stone in her hands, Basch hovered at her elbow his eyes too lingered on the nethicite. Penelo flopped down onto a chair whilst Vaan paced in his usual restless manner. Fran was perched on the corner of the grand oak table and her partner stood not far off, his back against the wall. Content that everyone was present and ready, Ashe placed the nethicite on the table. I watched as Penelo eyed it. It was no longer the beautiful glowing stone it had been in the Dynast-King's tomb now it was dull and grey just like any other rock.

"So it was the Dawn Shard that brought down the Imperial fleet." Basch said, though from his tone it was obvious he wasn't surprised.

"You know your stuff." Balthier quipped.

"Destructive power of such force- I have seen it once before." He turned to the young woman at his side "Lady Ashe, you know of what I speak."

"Nabudis." She uttered with the slightest of nods. Her eyes were downcast to the two rings that decorated her left hand.

"The capital of old Nabradia- Lord Rasler's fatherland. At the time of the invasion, a division of Imperials entered the city- there was a mighty explosion. Friend and foe died alike. Something was there- one of the Dynast-King's relics. The Midlight Shard was in Nabradia."

"More Nethicite. Well, no wonder they invaded." Balthier said seemingly unimpressed by the Imperials and their efforts.

"That ridiculous war, the trap at the treaty signing-" Ashe's hand slowly outstretched and captured the stone, "All this because Vayne wanted power. He must not be allowed to claim the nethicite. The Empire must never hold it."

"Oh? They already do." My eyes swept from Ashe to the sky-pirate who had folded his arms over his chest "The Dusk Shard, most likely the Midlight Shard too. Besides, can't they manufact nethicite now?"

"Very well, then the path set before us is clear. We'll use the Dawn Shard to fight them!" She rose from her chair, the nethicite clutched to her chest. "Dalmasca does not forget kindness nor ill deed done. With sword in hand she aids her allies. Sword in hand, she lays to rest her foes. This nethicite I hold must be my sword. I will avenge those who have died. And the Empire will know remorse." I couldn't help but compile a list in my head of all of the fallen that she was speaking of. So many people who had been so close to her had died because of the war. I know if it were me in her place I would want the same and I would fight for it just as hard. The heavy silence that hung after her last words was shattered by Vaan's curious tone.

"You even know how to use it?"

"I..." The princess trailed off clearly clueless as just how to wield the scrap of stone in her hands.

"The Garif may know." Fran's smooth voice sliced through the uneasy pause. All heads sharply turned in her direction. "The Garif people live by the old ways. Magicite lore is a part of their culture. They may hear it. The cry of the nethicite's power. Whispers of the stone's menace." She rose from the table she'd perched herself on and straightened. Ashe approached with sharp footsteps.

"Dangerous though it be, what we need now is power. Should we declare Dalmasca free without the means to defend our claim the Empire would crush us. You must take me to meet with the Garif."

"They live beyond the Ozmone Plain." Was her answer.

"Not exactly close." Balthier piped up moving away from the wall to step in front of Ashe.

"Compensation- is that what you want?" She sighed.

"Straight to the point, aren't we? I like that. Compensation?" He took his time to roll the word over his tongue as he looked the young woman up and down. "How about the ring?" He suggested with a sweep of an outstretched hand, as if in waiting for it.

"Balthier!" I gasped in shock at his lack of sensitivity.

I had noticed the two rings on her left hand when I had first met her on the Leviathan. The one ring that adorned the finger next to her own wedding band didn't properly fit her. I knew it had never meant to fit her, it was Rasler's. I had caught her many a time looking or fiddling with it as if searching for hope and strength, it made my blood boil that Balthier was so rude as to ask for such a thing!

"This? Isn't there something else?" She feebly asked.

"No one's forcing you." He shrugged. My eyes darted to Ashe whose gaze was once more fixed on her left hand. She sighed wearily before placing the Dawn Shard on the table and carefully removing the larger wedding band. Her hesitation was obvious as she slowly outstretched her hand to place it in the sky-pirates waiting palm. "I'll give it back to you. As soon as I find something more valuable." It would seem sentimental value wasn't worth much by his judgment. Ashe remained silent and turned away from him before pacing out of the dining room.

"What do you mean 'something more valuable?'" Vaan drifted to Balthier's side his eyes on the ring.

"Hard to say. I'll know when I find it." He began to walk off also "What is it that you want, Vaan? What are you looking for?"

"Me? What am I looking for? I guess- well, I- you know..." He mumbled. The rest of the group followed and took their exit. I paused beside Vaan.

"You're looking to become a sky-pirate, right Vaan?" I clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah." He nodded. "What 'bout you?"

"I'm looking for Kaiser, of course." I turned and left the dining room.


	29. Chapter XXIX

Author's Note

I've finally moved house! This past month has been a busy one and in-between going to England to visit family and moving house I managed to keep typing! Just a few things to mention: firstly, I logged on for the first time in weeks to see my little stat-o-meter has flown past 20,000 so a big thank you for that! Thanks so much for all your reviews and subscriptions to this thing they really make my day! Also I think this will probably be the last chapter for this year so if I don't upload any earlier I hope all of you have a merry Christmas and a great New Year!

* * *

**Chapter XXIX: Hoppipolla** (Translates to 'jump in puddles')

It was finally time for us to move on and once we had gathered our belongings and what was left of our supplies, we left the town house and made for the Muthru Bazaar. Penelo stopped to hitch up a heavy looking rucksack at the mouth of the market place.

"Here, let me take that Penelo. You've got enough to carry." I held my hand out for the rucksack. It was true she had a few other bags draped across her body.

"Thanks." She handed over the rucksack.

Vaan, who was still mulling over the question Balthier had posed to him earlier, paused at my side. I slung the bag at him.

"Vaan, take this, you aren't carrying anything." He huffed but pulled on the bag nonetheless.

I looked over to see Balthier, Basch and Ashe in conversation. Fran was already browsing for supplies not far off as I could just see her long ears poking up from the sea of heads.

"The Garif are said to dwell in Kerwon." Basch said, keen to discuss the root to our new destination.

"So they do. We'll need to head south, past the Giza Plains." Balthier enlightened. There was no surprise he would know the way seems as one of the perks of his profession was that he was well travelled.

"It is the rains now in Giza- the wadis will be swollen with the deluge. Passage may be difficult."

A smile quickly came to my face. Finally, I could travel along a vast stretch of land that wasn't a desert or a scorching wasteland. I was almost looking forward to our journey.

"But those same waters may also lay open new routes to us."

"Regardless me must go south, yes?" Ever the direct, Ashe was clearly ready and raring to go.

"First thing's first. You're eager to be on your way, I know but we should see that we're prepared before setting out." Balthier insisted.

"I made my resolve two years ago. I swore to overcome any hardship I may face." One of those hardships was undoubtedly the sky-pirate before her.

"Man cannot live by resolve alone, Princess." The two glared at him, he was bold to use her title out in the open. Unaffected by their looks he casually turned on his heel to face the three of us. "Come along, the more of us searching for provisions the quicker we leave." With that he went off to find Fran.

There were many things we needed to buy for the journey ahead. Food and water were some but the likes of Basch and Fran were far more interested in upgrading their weaponry and armour. I wasn't keen on the idea of trading in my bamboo spear for a sleeker, stronger model as I had become so accustom to its weight and depth of ability. It defiantly wasn't the best weapon out there but then again I wasn't the best warrior either.

Once we had spent an hour or so sorting after needed potions, items and licences we were finally ready to yet again leave Rabanastre. The South Gate's passage stretched out into the Giza Plains and overhead a never-ending blanket of grey clouds smothered the sky. The smell of damp earth could be smelt the moment you passed through the gate. I tugged on an oil-skin coat which acted very much like a raincoat and slung the medic bag and my messenger bag back across my torso before stepping in time with Vaan and Penelo.

We entered the Giza Plains to find it had taken on a very different appearance. The ground was no longer dry and dusty but instead it was damp soil from which tufts of grass sprouted from. There were many ponds and rivers that cut through the earth, shaping out different routes to the ones we had been accustomed to take. It rained lightly and as the fine droplets washed over me I couldn't help but pause and tilt my head up to the sky. This miserable weather caused me to feel as if I were back in England. A smile found its way onto my lips as I remembered how much I missed a good down pour of rain. Not everyone was enjoying the weather. Balthier wasn't one for mist and rain nor was he one who enjoyed sporting an oil-skin coat, he claimed though it was practical it did little for his image. I watched as he trudged on ahead beside Fran who was unable to put up her own coat's hood due to her ears and so her snowy hair quickly transformed into soggy tendrils.

The change in season brought new breeds of foes. Huge, fat toads would bathe in the shallows of the ponds and snap at any who dared to venture too close. Ever the trouble maker, Vaan was the one who riled the amphibious beasts by poking them with a stick while they dozed.

"Geez these things are ugly." He stated prodding the waking toad again.

The stick was quickly enveloped by the slimy skin of the bulbous creature. Despite its size it was incredibly speedy and puffed out its chest in annoyance before snapping at the boy. Vaan easily dodged the attack but the toad's long tongue darted out and plucked his sword from his belt. It promptly swallowed it whole.

"Hey! What the-!" Vaan moved to attack but with a sizable splash, the toad had retreated into the waters and swam away. "It has my sword!"

"Serves you right, you should let sleeping beasts lie." Penelo said, shaking her head in disapproval. "Well, looks like we'll have to find you a new one."

We continued on and after a few hours of wading through the sloppy earth, we soon came to the snatch of land where the nomad settlement was. It was gone, every tent had been packed up and the tribe had moved on, even the cockatrices were nowhere to be found. Penelo explained to me that in the wet season the nomads travelled to find drier lands so that they could continue to prosper from their trades of cockatrices eggs and sunstones. It was strange to see the place so still and uninhabited. I guess I had become accustomed to the shrill, gleeful shrieks of the children as they dashed around the camp grounds playing whenever I had visited.

As we made our way through the grounds, a nomad man who was stood near the settlement's fence approached us.

"Oh please, I beseech you I am in need of your help." He said stopping in front of us. I noticed Fran's ears snap forward in suspicion. He didn't appear at all bothersome. He was a typical nomad man in his thirties with sun bronzed skin, dark eyes and mousy-brown hair. "My beloved's ring was taken. A swamp toad snapped it up. I will never be able to defeat such a foe! I beg of you, will you slay the beast for me and return me my ring?"

"Sure." Said Vaan without even consulting our agreement "I bet I know which toad has it, it stole something of mine too."

"We have not the time for this, Vaan." Ashe chirped.

"C'mon, it won't take long and then I can get my sword back."

"It would be far less hassle to purchase you a new one."

"It be wise to help this Hume, I believe." Fran's eyes never left the nomad's face as she spoke. I wondered why she was so willing to help him if she was wary of him. It made no sense to me.

"I concur. This chap may even kindly reward our efforts." Balthier said.

"But of course I shall, the ring means so much to me." The nomad nodded.

There was a long pause as Ashe eventually gave in sighing a sullen,

"Very well then."

With our new quest appointed we turned back and went in search of the troublesome toad. It took a while to find it as it would easily spot us and hurriedly swim off to the other side of the makeshift ponds. Fran and Balthier's ammunition came in handy as they could effortlessly track and attack the creature from the water's edge. Eventually, with it wounded and tired, the mammoth toad was forced to put up a fight. It didn't last long against the likes of Basch's axe and Ashe's sword. We stood around the rubbery carcass.

"Penelo, your dagger." Fran held out her hand towards the young girl who complied and placed the small blade in her waiting hand.

The Viera knelt and in one smooth motion slit open the toad from pelvis to throat. I took a step back smelling the horrid stench that rose from the animal's stomach. Untroubled by the gore and scent, Fran began to carefully delve around in the innards until she found what she was searching for. Another swift slash of the dagger and the object was pulled free from the bowels. It was the slim coated scarab of Vaan's sword. She handed it to him not noticing how his nose was wrinkled with repulsion.

"Gross." He whined and went to go wash off the gloop in the pond.

Fran continued to search through the entrails and soon came across a hard lump in the small intestine. She prized it loose with a flick of the dagger and held it up in between her thumb and forefinger to scrutinize it. It was the ring. Even covered in stomach slime it glinted. She returned the dagger back to Penelo and rinsed the ring in the pond waters. Once cleansed, I could see it was a simple silver band that had a black stone that was marbled with all manner of shades nestled upon it. I instantly recognised the stone as an uncharged sunstone.

"Well that didn't take us all that long, did it now?" Balthier smirked at Ashe. She ignored him and once more set off, back to the nomad settlement.

The nomad man saw us approaching as we reached the edge of the camp and hurried over to us with swift steps.

"I believe this is yours." Balthier said to him as he held out the ring. "Now, what of our reward?" The nomad looked from the ring nestled in Balthier's palm to the rest of us. I could sense his hesitation and it puzzled me. Why wouldn't he take it from him when he had seemed so distraught about losing it earlier?

"Oh... I'm afraid I cannot be the one to give it to you, sir. This ring belongs to my beloved who is travelling with the others, when you return it to her she will reward you for your aid."

"We know not where the nomads go in the time of the rains." Ashe said. It was true no one really knew just where they migrated to every year at the time of the floods. I had the thought that each year they would perhaps travel to a different destination in hope of better chance of trading.

"Then you must return back here when the rains have ended."

"And just how will we tell which maiden in waiting is yours?" Balthier asked him, his hands at his hips.

"Show the ring to the village elder, she will know."

So we kept the ring amongst our belongings and bid farewell to the nomad before slogging on along the marshland. A few more hours passed and Vaan began to dawdle, his footsteps becoming heavier and half-hearted.

"I hate the rain." He mumbled to no one in particular. The boggy land squelched under his shoes which were encrusted with mud.

"Oh come on Vaan, it isn't that bad." Penelo smiled.

"Yeah, why don't you jump in some of the puddles or something?" I said. I remember when I was a kid I used to enjoy stomping around the countryside in my wellingtons taking pleasure in the supposed miserable weather. I know Vaan wasn't exactly a child but he sometimes had the mentality of one. "Go on, try it." I urged when he looked at me with a frown.

He remained rooted to the mud. I sighed and wandered over to the nearest puddle and jumped in it sending water to cascade about the air. A mischievous grin spread across his face and he charged up to the puddle I was still stood in and jumped in it. As a result I got soaked with muddy water. He found this hilarious and began giggling like a hyena.

This was the start of a puddle war (for lack of a better phrase). Penelo joined in and before I knew it we were running about the sodden ground laughing and shrieking like children. It was good to see the two actually act like kids for once. All this doom and gloom of the war had been weighing down on everyone and I was glad to see the two teenagers could still shake it off and have some fun even if it was in the guise of a silly game.

Vaan spotted a small puddle near where I was stood and moved so he could kick up some of its mucky water up at me. As he jumped on it he suddenly sunk all the way down to his waist. The puddle had been misleading in its depth. Although it was small it was incredibly deep. No doubt it had been a sink hole of some sort before the rainy season. Penelo and I cackled as we watched him try and squirm his way out of it.

"Shut up, it's not funny! I can't budge!" He growled whilst clawing at the sloppy ground that fringed the puddle. "C'mon, gimme a hand guys!"

Still chuckling, Penelo stretched down her hand to her friend. He grasped it and she attempted to pull him up and out of the sludge.

"Ugh! Vaan, you're so heavy." She grunted as she attempted to tug at his hand again.

"Here, give me your other hand, Vaan." I held out my hand.

He grasped it and with each of us gripping one of his hands we pulled. It took a few good wrenches to get him moving. The thick, soft mud he was stuck in didn't seem to give in so easily. We continued to haul him up and out until suddenly the ground decided it no longer wanted him in its clutches. As a result he slammed into us and we all tumbled down onto the wet ground.

"Vaan, Get off! You _really_ are heavy!" I shoved him off me.

We all sat there in the mud pretty much coated in the stuff from head to toe looking at one another. Just how stupid did we look? The giggling soon started again, which quickly gave way to full blown laughter. The sound of a throat being cleared caused the laughter to die in our throats. Simultaneously, we turned our heads to see Balthier stood not far off his arms folding and his eyebrows raised in questioning.

"If you have quite finished I suggest we get a move on. You don't want to face the peril of Her Highness, do you now?"

We mumbled our apologies and lurched up from the mud slick ground looking very much like mud monsters. Hopefully, the rain would soon take care of that and wash it from our hair and clothes.

In retrospect the puddle war had seemed like a good idea at the time, however when evening drew close and the temperature dropped drastically our wet and muddy clothes soon became a horrible burden. The damp caused the chill to slip easier through our garments -even past the supposed impenetrable oil-skin was no use- so much so that it made my teeth chatter. We made camp in a small cavern to shelter us from the rain which was increasing its ferocity with each hour passing. A fire had been lit and the three of us shed our oil-skin coats and huddled as close as we possibly could to it to dry out our clothes.

"Suddenly the weather isn't so delightful, is it?" Balthier smirked as he added some more kindle to the fire.

"It was only a bit of fun." Mumbled Vaan as he continued to rub at his goosebump riddled limbs.

"Is that so? Well I'm sure you can imagine Her Highness' disdain for such a game." With the fire fed he smoothly rose to his feet.

Ashe had no doubt pulled a face at our silliness she was only ever content when she was making headway with her quest. Although we had slowed the group down a little I still didn't regret it, it had been good to see Vaan and Penelo enjoying themselves.

"Don't worry, we aren't planning on a round two anytime soon." I muttered as he turned away from us.

"Good to know." He said over his shoulder. He made his way over to Fran who had taken over Penelo's cooking duties.

After we had eaten and agreed on the watch shifts we rolled out our fur lined sleeping bags and settled down for the night. The fire still burned but it had dwindled in size and strength. I watched as it cast playful shadows on the moss coated cavern walls whilst waiting for sleep to claim me.

* * *

In my sleep Belias came forward. I was quite alarmed by his presence at first as he had always remained silent and lurking only offering the odd malicious chuckle now and then. Since I had defeated him there had been no snide sniggers ringing through my mind.

_I seek your forgiveness... master_. He said the last word hesitantly as if unsure whether he liked the sound of it.

"Oh? If you feel such regret than why did you put up such a fight in the first place?" I failed at keeping the annoyance out of my tone.

_When I had been overcome by your group at the crypt, noted did I that one of you Humes bore the royal bloodline. I had been sure she had come to claim my strength as her own._

"But instead you got stuck with me... I see, it was Ashe you wanted to be bound to." I could understand his disappointment but seems as I was travelling with the crowned head he would still be able to serve her through me.

_There be a other cause. As we were bound our memories were interchanged... yours be memories most strange. _

"Strange, how?" I suddenly felt nerves rising up in my stomach. I wasn't keen that someone had found out the truth about me.

_They are memories of a different place, memories of a world similar to this. I understand them not_.

"Perhaps they're dreams. I lost my memory when I woke up in the desert."

_Liar!_ He roared making my heart spasm. Even under my control he was still menacing and I wasn't keen to rile him further. _Deceived I will not be by the excuses and half-truths you spin to those you travel with. Your memories be bizarre and of a different plain and you fear the others knowing of them_. _ A true warrior is open in spirit, mind and heart, you were neither of these things and I was blighted by that as the gods bound us. _

"So you know all about me.." I guess it was somewhat of a relief that someone knew of my lies yet it still didn't ease the guilt I felt every time I spoke of my supposed amnesia. "Well, this is a good thing for you, Belias, because I'm sure when I do go back to my realm I doubt you'll be able to come with me. You could return to Raithwall or go onto to serve a more deserving master."

_That will not be the way of it. I will remain at your side until death breaks our bonds. _

"If that's the case you better start obeying me, or would you prefer a rematch?"

That dark cackle rumbled through my mind like distant thunder before he said,

_I would not. Being defeated by the likes of you is not something I wish to repeat. You are a conundrum, girl though I am glad to say I find you spirit admirable. _

"That's good to know. So you're going to start doing as I ask?"

_Aye, though I bade that you tell the others of your secrets, that you are not as they are._

"In time." Was all I promised him.

_As you wish, master._ With that his deep voice faded as he returned back to the depths of my mind to lay in wait.

I was awoken by someone gently shaking my shoulder. I blinked a few times to become accustom to the fire's dim glow. Basch was knelt by my side. I groaned. Was it time for our watch shift already? It only felt as if I had been asleep for five minutes. I hauled myself up from my sleeping bag and followed Basch to the mouth of the cavern. My clothes were still somewhat damp from the events of this afternoon. With no fur or dry cloth to keep the chill at bay I was soon beginning to shiver. I attempted to ignore the cold nipping at my skin and futilely rubbed my bare arms in hope to warm them. Vaan and Balthier picked up their weapons and bid us goodnight before venturing further into the cavern.

I sighed and slumped down onto a nearby rock, my spear loosely gripped in my hands. I peered out at the night sky, it was still raining and the moonlight was chocked by thick clouds. I returned my attention back to my numb limbs and began yet again trying to warm them. Suddenly something was placed over my shuddering shoulders. A blanket. I looked up to see Basch.

"Thanks."

"Although it were mere child's play, I understand why you did it." He said, ignoring my gratitude. I tugged the blanket further around my form. He moved to sit at my side.

"They're just kids it shouldn't always be one serious subject after another for them to deal with." I shrugged. "Even Ashe is too young to have to be faced with all that she has."

"And that is why I guard her so."

"I think she finally sees that. I think she trusts you now."

"I pray that is so." He said solemnly.

"I'm sure of it. She holds herself differently around you now, she isn't as rigid." It was true, since our stay at Rabanastre she seemed somewhat more relaxed around him as if she finally saw that all he wanted to do was fight for her. He believed in her quest just as much as she did, every time he raised his sword in battle it was for her sake. She was fortunate to have someone with such dedication.

"So, how much further to the Garif's village?" I said after a long pause. I found that the easiest way to get him talking would be to discuss our journey ahead. I often enjoyed these conversations with him and as of this moment I was in need of some sort of distraction from my shivering limbs and tired eyes.

"'Tis a fair distance off still. I imagine we will reach it in a matter of days."

"And we'll still have time to train, right?"

"Aye, though I did note of the Giga's power in your attacks today. You are quite powerful now."

"He's finally seeing me as his master."

"Good."

Our conversation slowly dwindled and with it died my attempts to stay awake. I gave in to the heavy pull of my eyelids and allowed myself to drift off for a few moments of rest.

* * *

Basch felt the girl's form slump against his side. He turned his head and peered down at her. She was deep in sleep. A section of hair had flopped forward and masked part of her face. As if acting on instinct alone he reached out and carefully swept the strands back behind her ear, his fingertips brushed against the soft skin of her cheek as he did so. He paused, his mind finally functioning now. It quickly cursed him for being so bold yet his hand hovered at her cheek as if wishing to repeat the action. Although perplexed by this sudden want he quickly quelled it and dropped his hand. Just where had that come from?

* * *

Morning brought with it a pale sun shrouded by wispy clouds, it offered us very little warmth. Luckily, by now my garments had fully dried and with the oil-skin coat on there was no way today I was wishing to get wet. We slogged on along the marshlands only stopping few and far between for a chance to rest our legs and drink water.

When we finally set up camp for the night the stormy sky decided to rain upon us with all its might. With no cavern or cave to take shelter in tonight we all raced to build the tents. No fire could be lit and so we ate a cold meal of vegetables and bread. With the watch shifts once more decided everyone retreated to the comfort of their tents. There were three in total in which two tents would be occupied by two pairs whilst the first group stood watch. The person who was having the night off had a tent to themselves so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

Tonight, I had been paired with Penelo and we were on first watch. We were perched under a stretch of tarp that had been attached to the low branches of two trees, producing a makeshift roof. The water drummed heavily on the waxy material and every once in a while I would use the pole of my spear to push off the water that was pooling in the tarp's centre so that it wouldn't burst the material. Penelo watched the tent nearest to us, a lantern was casting shadows of Balthier and Fran as they sat and chatted.

"Do you think Balthier and Fran are lovers?" She asked me in a hushed voice, probably out of fear that the Viera's keen ears would hear her question.

"Where did that come from?" I snorted, amused by her question.

It was obvious she had given it a considerable amount of thought as she had been silent for well over half an hour. However, it was an interesting subject as I had often pondered the same thing whilst we were tirelessly walking along to whatever destination Ashe had appointed us. They were a peculiar pair.

"I don't know.. I just can't seem to figure them out. Their relationship is most strange. So what do you think?"

I shrugged before answering,

"They're probably lovers."

"Really?" Penelo cocked her head before returning her gaze back to the tent.

"Yeah. I think they're not typical lovers because they're not both Humes. Fran doesn't seem the touchy,feely type. I read that the Viera display their emotions in a different, less obvious way to us."

"Well, what about Balthier? He's always chasing skirts."

Another snort of laughter rose from my throat. She did have a point I had clocked him a few times when we'd been in Rabanastre eyeballing other women.

"He has a reputation of womanizing and debauchery to uphold."

"So it's all an act?" Penelo mused.

"Maybe. Or maybe he just likes chasing skirts!" I chuckled. If they were indeed an item I doubt Fran would ever worry too much about him straying. As much as Balthier claimed he was the leading man I was certain if Fran told him to jump he'd ask her how high.

"Go on then." Penelo said after her giggling had subsided "If you had to chase any of them three, which would it be?" She was obviously referring to our three male companions.

"What's brought this on?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Curiosity." She smiled.

"Hmmm..." I mulled the matter over for a few minutes. None of them were my ideal partner Vaan was too young, Basch was too serious and the less said about Balthier, the better. Yet for the sakes of light-hearted banter I decided to give her an answer. "Probably Basch." I shrugged. I suppose he did seem like the sensible choice.

"The Captain?" Penelo gasped a little too loudly. She clapped a hand over her own mouth when she realised the volume of her voice.

"What's wrong with that?"

"I would have thought Balthier. You two are always exchanging banter."

"Which is normally about me threatening to inflict pain on him." I reminded her. "And besides it's only hypothetical, remember?"

"Oh right.. so why him?"

I thought through my excuses, which were mainly because he was the only one of them I could stand to spend long periods of time with, the other two would just drive me mad. Besides, he wasn't _that_ bad a choice.

"Well he's a military man so duty comes first and it would be a challenge to convince him otherwise. And sure he's older but with age comes experience, so when I have finally 'caught' him-" I suddenly realized not only just what I was insinuating but just who I was mentioning it to- a wide-eyed and blushing Penelo. "I think I'll stop there."

"What? Why?" Penelo blinked, the disappointment in her tone was not hard to miss.

"Because I just remember how old you are." I said reaching for the water flask.

I know Penelo was sixteen and by her age I had had quite a few encounters with boys yet it did seem perhaps a bit too much to be discussing such a topic with her. Sure she was smart but that didn't mean there weren't some areas of life in which she was naïve in.

"Oh come on Edie, it's nice not being treated like the baby of the group for once." She mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, well the last bits pretty self explanatory." I concluded, taking a gulp of water. To be honest I wasn't sure I was keen on this hypothetical game of chase anymore.

"Don't you want to know who I'd chase?" She said after a pause.

"I think I already know the answer to that one, Penelo." I smirked.

"It's Balthier." She state matter-of-factly. I suddenly remembered when we had been in the Aerodrome and Penelo had given him his handkerchief back she had been blushing. Poor Penelo was a sucker for the sky-pirate's gentlemanly act. I rolled my eyes.

"What? You think my choice silly?"

"It isn't Balthier you're after. It's Vaan."

"He's merely my friend."

"You'd be surprised how easily that can change." I took another swig from the flask.


	30. Chapter XXX

Author's Note

Hi! Okay, I have a lot to tell you so here we go:

Firstly, I have some bad news about this fanfiction as I may not post chapters for long periods of time. My mum was recently diagnosed with cancer and because neither her or my dad speak Spanish very well I will be in and out of hospital with her. Also I will have to cover her work shifts when she needs to take time off, which unfortuantely doesn't leave much time for writing! So just to say sorry if I don't update in a while but I haven't given up on this fanfiction yet. If that ever does happen, I promise I will write an in-depth synopsis that will tell you what would have happened as there are so many people who have reviewed and favourited it I feel it would be rude not to!

To answer Kenegi's statement about how Edie's spear hasn't snapped yet I will say that there is an explanation as to why when the gang reach Mt. Bur-Omisace. There will be a point in the plot when a certain someone (Hmmm, I wonder who that could be?) breaks her spear but again that comes later on. I know it isn't really realistic but hey if I did choose to write Edie in a realistic setting I would have given her something a bit more practical like a machete or a semi-automatic rifle!

Phew, nearly finished! I can't take credit for the songs that are in this chapter (although I did tweek them a little) as they're Florence and the Machine songs. The first is called 'Donkey Kosh' and the second is 'Bird Song' and can easily be found on youtube if you're wondering what they sound like. I wanted to use Flo's music because a lot of her acoustic or demo tracks have a folk element to them which I think would also suit a settling like Ivalice- plus she's got a killer voice!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC. I don't own the songs in this chapter they belong to Florence and the Machine.

* * *

**Chapter XXX: Bedroom Hymns**

The next day we finally made it out of the Giza Plains and were greeted by the grassy green fields of the Ozmone Plains. Here the weather was much better with only cotton-like clouds blotting the sky, and which showed no threats of casting rain upon us. We shed our oil-skin coats and sold them to a travelling tradesman for 50 Gil a piece.

The day passed pretty much like the day before it: trekking, fighting foes and resting. As we settled down to take another break a shrill cry ripped through our group's pleasant chatter. It was the terrified wail of a child. Rushing towards the ruckus I could see in the distance, clinging desperately to the branch of a short tree, was a little boy of five or six. Below him a rabid werewolf tirelessly circled occasionally swiping with it sharp claws. We quickly surrounded the beast, its interest in his prey was promptly reverted to our group as it lunged forward snapping its powerful jaws at us. In a flash of steel swords were drawn, the deafening blast of Balthier's pistol was swiftly followed by the rain of Fran's arrows, and magicks were hastily flung upon the menace before us. With our powerful onslaught battering upon it, it soon brought the snarling fiend to its knees. Even dead it still bared its yellowing fangs. With the werewolf slain, Vaan shimmied up the tree to help the boy down.

"Were be your family, little one?" Ashe asked being sure to distract the child from the sight of the blooded creature that lay on the grass before him. The boy frowned before bursting into tears.

"No entiendo. Tienes que ayuda mi, por favor, no sé donde esta mi papa! (_I don't understand. You have to help me, please, I don't know where my dad is_!)" He sobbed.

I attempted to keep the shocked look from gracing my features. He was speaking Spanish!

"Hmm, I dare say he doesn't understand us. Any of you hap speak Rozarrian?" Balthier enquired.

So Spanish was Rozarrian in Ivalice. Although I was more than capable of speaking to the boy, I bit my tongue. Just how would I go about explaining I knew Rozarrian to the rest of the group? It was bad enough Vaan was convinced I actually was one. I shook my head.

"They can't be far. If he speaks Rozarrian he's probably a Rozarrian gypsy. They often travel through these Plains." Penelo informed us. Now that she mentioned it his clothes did seem something a traveller or a nomad might wear. She bent and held her hand out to the boy. With a big, bright smile she slowly said to him "You come with us. Don't worry, we'll find your parents." The boy sniffled before hesitantly placing his hand in hers.

We set off once more, the child toddling in-between Vaan and Penelo. After hours of hiking the sun began to hang low in the horizon sending the sky a fiery orange. In the blur of colour, far in the distance, two silhouettes calmly drifted onwards. It was the outline of two men on chocobos. The child, who now was perched on Vaan's shoulders, suddenly squeaked,

"Allí! (_There_!)"

I squinted to get a better look at the distant figures.

"There! They must be gypsies." Penelo pointed. We picked up our pace and the boy wriggled impatiently in want to be standing on his own two feet again. Vaan complied and set him down. Penelo once more sort after his chubby little hand so that he wouldn't run off and into any lurking threats of the plains.

"Papa! (_Dad_!)" He cried before tugging his minder towards them. "Papa! Papa!"

"Julno!" One of the men dismounted his steed and hurriedly covered the short the distance between them on foot until he was reunited with the boy. He threw his burly arms around his son. "Gracias a los dios! Cuanto vez mi he dicho que no te sales sin tu gran hermano? (_Thank the gods! How many times have I told you not to go out without your big brother_?)" Though it was obvious he was angry with his son's shenanigans there was nothing but relief tinting his tone.

"Lo siento. (_I'm sorry_.)" The boy mumbled. The father suddenly realised that we had been accompanying his son and slowly grazed his eyes over our no doubt odd looking rabble.

"Gracias por cuidando le. (_Thank you for taking care of him._)" When he realised we didn't understand he repeated it in English. "Thank you for taking care of him. We were most worried. I have been searching all day for him."

"No problem. At least now we know he's safe and sound." Vaan grinned.

"Please, come with us. We have food, wine. As a thank you, please come with us." He insisted gesturing over his shoulder to the other gypsy- probably the aforementioned older brother- atop a chocobo.

"Well, I could do with a sit down and a hearty meal." Balthier said. "What say you, m'lady?" We all turned to look at her.

"It would be rude to refuse their hospitalities and with dusk upon us we cannot tread much farther." She agreed.

With the boy and his father on one chocobo and the older brother on the other bird we set off at a relaxed pace towards the gypsy camp.

* * *

They must have set up camp a few days ago as it did seem more established than our often haphazard attempts. Their wooden caravans were dotted around a colossal campfire. A group of women were gathered round the fringes of the bonfire peeling vegetables and taking turns to stir a large black cauldron from which cast the wonderful sent of vegetable broth. A woman in her earlier thirties dressed in a long skirt and peasant shirt broke away from the group and dashed forwards. The little boy yelped with glee and hurriedly dismounted the chocobo before meeting her and throwing his arms around her neck.

"Mama! (_Mum_!)"

"Julno! Hijo mio! Mi fue tan preocupado! Nunca sales sin tu hermano, tontillo! (_Julno! My son! I was so worried! Never go out without your brother, silly_!)" She said scooping him up in her arms.

"Lo se, Mama. Perdoname. (_I know, Mum. I'm sorry_.)"

"Bueno, ti sabes que estas castigado por haciendo tonterilla. (_Well, you do know you're grounded for doing silly things_.)" She said setting him down again.

"Mama-!" He began to protest but was quickly silenced with a swift yet light clip around the ear.

"Cayeté! Venga, a tu cuarto. (_Be quiet! Come on, go to your room_)" Julno's head dropped and he slunk off further into the camp. "Y hagas tus deberas! (_And do your homework!_)" She hollered after him.

"Ja! (_Yeah_!)" He returned, his shoulders slumping further.

The woman turned to regard us. She was attractive to say the least with long flowing dark hair, piercing blue eyes and a smattering of freckles decorating the tops of her cheeks.

"Mallow, quien son este gente? (_Mallow, who are these people_?)" She questioned her husband who had descended the chocobo and was leading it towards the other birds that stood not far off, on the outskirts of the camp.

"Este gente han salvado y cuidado nuestro pequeña exploradora. (_These people saved and looked after our little explorer._) "

"De verdad? (_Really_?)" She turned back to us and bowed slightly, "Pues, muchísimas gracias! (_Well, thank you so much_!)"

"No hablen nuestro idioma! (_They don't speak our language_!)" The man called over his shoulder.

"Oh! My apologies, I thought you may understand us. I thank you for helping Julno, he has a habit of wandering off." She said, despite her thick accent her English was impeccable.

"Don't mention it! We just did what any other would have done." Vaan replied, a hand behind his head.

"Either way, gratitude must be given. Come, drink and eat with us, we have more than plenty." She enthusiastically beckoned us to follow her as she led the way back to through the ring of caravans and wagons to the campfire. Many of the other gypsies paused in their appointed duties to take in a good eye full of us as we walked by them. The woman quickly rattled off an explanation to her fellow camp members who were around the fire and even though their English wasn't as good they also expressed their gratitude.

The sun had long set and the embers from the mammoth fire crackled and swirled mischievously in the night air. They twinkled very much like flecks of glitter as they flickered against the night's black backdrop. We were sat down on the cuts of thick tree trunk, each of us a tin mug in hand. The drink was incredibly powerful, a spirit perhaps. I watched with interest as Mallow, Julno's father, explained to the others how we had rescued his son from the jaws of a werewolf. Balthier was sat at my side, I could feel his stare upon me and I attempted to keep the look of concentration from marking my brow. He leaned in closer to me. I ignored him and continue to concentrate on the rapid fire Rozzarrian that was flitting back and forth amongst the gypsies.

"Que, exactamente, están diciendo? (_What, exactly, are they saying_?)" He questioned softly, his low and smooth voice like treacle in my ear.

"El hombre, Mallow, estas explicando que nos han resecarse su hijo de el hombre-lobo. (_The man, Mallow, is explaining how we saved his son from a werewolf._)" I replied gesturing to the bearded Mallow as I spoke. It was only until I awaited his retort did I realised his reply was in fact a smug smirk. I gasped. He leant back so I could fully appreciate the smile upon his face.

"Y cuando te va a decirnos que ti puedes hablar Rozarrian, Edie? (_And when were you going to tell us you speek Rozarrian, Edie_?)" I darted an eye over my companions to see their attention was still upon the gypsies, they hadn't noticed our hushed conversation.

"I dunno, probably the same time you were going to admit the same." I growled annoyance swelling within me at my foolish slip up.

"Unlike you I never said I didn't. I had noticed the moment that boy had spoken you understood him and that got me thinking as to why you wouldn't admit that you can speak such a tongue."

"I-I don't know how I know Rozarrian, I lost my memory, remember?"

"Ah yes. Convenient, that. Those children may be easily fooled though Fran and I take a lot more skill to trick."

"You're calling me a liar?" I scoffed. It was pretty rich coming from someone as devious as him.

"Perhaps." He took a sip of his drink. "Do tell, how was it you came to lose your memory again?"

"I don't know, I woke up in the desert and I can't remember how I got there." I said as calmly as I could manage when speaking through gritted teeth.

"Strange that. If your memory loss had been caused by heatstroke I'd gladly wager it would only be short-term and yet you have been without your memory for how long now?"

"Long enough."

"Fear not I'm sure it will return. In the meantime I suggest you share things you do remember, such as knowing another language." He suggested in a light tone before once again raising his mug to his lips. I noticed that that smirk was once again grace them. I felt my hands clench into tight fists.

The broth was soon passed around and I enjoyed it so much I had a second helping. The gypsies were people who relished in the company of others and were keen to hear our stories of travelling across the deserts. As the night leisurely sailed by more spirit was poured and many of the men smoked cheroots or cigarettes. Vaan happily accepted one much to Penelo's disapproval. As he went to draw in a lung full of smoke the bitter smog caught in his throat and he began to hack and cough like a dog. Penelo and I howled with laughter as he sat doubled over all the while spluttering. More helpings of spirit were dished out and Mallow produced a battered acoustic guitar and began to tune it. Others also plucked up their instruments and there was a vast selection- accordions, fiddles, drums, flutes, and a handheld sweet sounding harp. Apparently gypsies were famed for their rousing songs, musical ability and flamenco style dance.

"You should join in." Slurred Vaan as he sluggishly elbowed Penelo in the ribs. Clearly he had had one too many mugs of the tart spirit that the gypsies called Zoco.

"You can sing?" Ellena, Mallow's wife, questioned her.

"No, I can dance though. If you want a singer Edie's got a lovely voice." she said with a nod of head in my direction.

"That's wonderful! Please sing, dance with us."

"I don't know, I've had a lot to drink." I dithered unsure if I would want the likes of the sky-pirates watching me while I sang.

"Oh nonsense! Zoco makes a voice all the sweeter. Come." She insisted picking up her tiny harp. "What folk songs do you know?"

"Only Dalmascan ones."

"Then sing those that you know and afterwards we shall teach you some others."

Ellena knew many folk songs most of which were about the war or were fables of fortune, love and ruin. She coaxed me into singing them with the pluck of her harp strings. Penelo danced with some of the other girls and quickly picked up their flamenco style as if she had been dancing it since she was a child. It was nice that I actually got to watch her this time as I had been far too occupied the first time we had performed together. I watched as she moved around the campfire. The stark light causing my eye only to view her silhouette as she elegantly mimicked the other dancers. Some of the songs were so interesting that I actually insisted that Ellena scrawlled them down in the back of Orgin-Cent book so that I would remember them. My favourite was a tale of a traveller who had to travel with her inner demons plaguing her:

_With a chocobo on my shoulder and a lobo on my back,_

_I'll carry these, my children, keep the safe from attack._

_The chocobo makes it hard to dance, the lobo sings too loud,_

_The chocobo cries when it's alone and the lobo is too proud._

_Little chocobo's getting restless, getting heavier as it grows,_

_And the lobo spoilt and spiteful keeps biting at my nose. _

_I would have a lover, a husband and a child, _

_But the chocobo is too jealous and the lobo is too wild._

_You ask me why I keep them, why I love them so,_

_Why they get away with murder as they grow and grow and grow._

_I keep them because I made them, they come from my loins,_

_With each mistake I make, created and torn apart,_

_And when it's time to feed them before they got to bed,_

_I give them my confessions baked within their bread._

_Little chocobo's getting restless, getting heavier as it grows_

_And the lobo spoilt and spiteful keeps biting at my nose._

* * *

The night quickly flurried by in a whirl of song, drunken laughter and jovial conversation. Basch hadn't really drunk with the same vigour as the others favouring slips from his mug rather than gulps. The other members of the group were merry thanks to their amiable hosts and their never-ending flow of liquor. Even the Lady Ashe had a partaken in the gaiety and seemed more like an adolescent than a royal hire. Her newly found zest was a welcome change to her usual tireless drive. The make-shift band was tuning their instruments to accommodate the next song. Even this unwritten ruckus was pleasing to the ear. He leant back against the log and allowed his eyes to sweep over the performers. Penelo and Edie were stood chatting to some girls of a similar age, their faces illuminated by the golden glow of the fire. One of the gypsy girls said something and they broke out in laughter. He enjoyed the light-hearted sound as well as how it marked Edie's face. He had noticed how she favoured a smile over a frown anytime and often enticed it to grace the faces of others. He took another sip of his drink and continued to watch them.

Mallow signalled that everyone was finally in-tune and ready. Edie drifted over to the band and stood beside Ellena whilst Penelo and the other girls assumed their stances waiting eagerly for the music. A playful tune rose from their instruments and Edie and Ellena began to sing another of the Rozarrian folk songs. They sang:

_Well I didn't tell anyone but a bird flew by_

_Saw what I'd done he set up a nest outside_

_And he sang about what I'd become_

_He sang so loud, sang so clear_

_I was afraid all the neighbours would hear._

_So I invited him in just to reason with him_

_I promised I wouldn't do it again._

_But he sang louder and louder inside the house _

_And now I couldn't get him out_

_So I trapped him under a cardboard box stood on it to make him stop_

_I picked up the bird and above the din said, _

'_That's the last song you'll ever sing'_

_Held him down broke his neck, taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget._

_But in my dreams began to creep that old familiar tweet, tweet, tweet._

_I opened my mouth to scream and shout and I waved my arms and flapped about _

_But I couldn't scream, I could shout because the song was coming from my mouth._

Penelo and the other dancers matched the upbeat melody with graceful sweeps of their arms and well timed stamps of their feet as they twirled around each other in an attractive display. Despite the merriment he found it shame as he knew there would probably not be another night quite like this one. Tomorrow it would be back to the norm and the never-ending march across Ivalice's lands. Although he welcomed nothing more than to make headway in Dalmasca's rise against the Empire he felt it a pity that the likes of his sovereign and the two orphans couldn't enjoy occasions such more often on their travels.

As the festivities drew to a close he rose from his spot and approached Mallow, who was undoubtedly the camp's leader, as he was packing away his guitar.

"I would thank you for your generosities by standing guard tonight."

"You need not do such a thing. This area has been culled of all threats, you may sleep soundly." Mallow insisted. There was a pause as he snapped the clasps shut on his tattered guitar case before he lifted his head to regard his guest, "I noticed you only have three tents. Doesn't seem a fitting number for your group."

"Yes as we tend to stand watch in shifts."

"Ah, I thought so. Worry not I have a spare if you wish it."

"That would be most kind of you." Basch bowed his head a little in thanks.

"It is nothing. It is good to meet other travellers, to hear your stories." Mallow looked over to the newcomers to see them setting up their tents for the night. Some of the gypsy children were helping them seems as Vaan was failing miserably to erect the tent frame due to him being so inebriated. He chuckled lightly at the spectacle. "Our children must become accustom to talking to townies so that we can speak your language well. Tonight has been a good lesson for them."

"I see, though thanks still must be given."

"And it is humbly accepted." The gypsy returned.

* * *

I yawned. The gypsies had kindly lent us another tent but it was rather small compared to our two-man models. Basch suggested that Ashe have the small tent by herself as it didn't seem fitting that he slept with her. I had noticed even when they were on a watch shift together he would sleep outside their appointed tent. I suppose he was right seems as he had it drilled into him since his days as a solider that the Princess was of a higher importance than him and he must act so. I ducked into the tent that I was sharing with him and rolled out my sleeping bag. The camp fire's light seeped through the tent's thin canvas lighting up the gloomy innards rather well. I unzipped the sleeping bag and decided to open it out and use it as a bed roll instead due to the night air being pleasantly warm. I tugged a thin blanket over me and settled for the night with a contented sigh. It would be nice not having to wake through the night to stand watch.

* * *

Sleep never found him well at night and as he lay on his back with his eyes cast to the ceiling of the tent he heard a whimper. He blinked and turned his head to look over at Edie. She was asleep with her back to him.

"N-no mi dejas. Por favour, no mi dejas aqui solita.(_D-Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me here alone_.)" She murmured in a strangled voice. Basch propped himself up on his elbow. He couldn't understand just what she was saying but she was clearly dreaming. "No mi dejas. (_Don't leave me_.)" It sounded like Rozarrian but then why hadn't she said she could speak it when they had come across Julno? He stretched out a hand and gently placed it on her back.

"Edie. Wake, you're having a nightmare." He said softly. He had had many a bad dream as his subconscious often enjoyed to hark back all of his past sins. He knew there was nothing worse than being harshly jerked from a dream and into the waking world. His hand slowly traced upwards and gripped her shoulder before lightly shaking it in hope to lure her away from whatever was haunting her. "Edie, wake now." He whispered. She mumbled something incoherent and followed the motion of his hand and rolled over. Her sluggish body was soon pressed against his, her head under his chin, he could feel her warm breath stroking at his throat.

"Ti has vuelto. Lo sabia que ti vas a volver por mi. Te quiero. (_You came back. I knew you would come back for me. I love you_.)" She muttered, her voice heavy with sleep as she draped a hand over his waist. His heart boomed in his chest though despite his shock he made no move to duck away from her. It had been a very long time since he had been this close to a woman and it unnerved him how he didn't wish to break the embrace. Before he could over think his predicament his silenced his whirling mind and allowed his hand to lazily run through the length of her hair. Perhaps sleep would be easier tonight.

* * *

In the dim light of dawn I began to stir from my slumber, a smile upon my lips. It felt like forever since I had slept at Jorge's side though I failed to think of the reason why. I sighed and snuggled closer to him so that my nose was pressed against his neck. His skin smelt smoky like that of a campfire. I frowned. Why would we have a campfire in the house? I opened my eyes and blinked a few times until they finally got used to the shift in light. I blinked again this time out of confusion. I wasn't at home in my nice warm bed but laid on a fur lined bedroll in a tent. What was worse was the body I had mistaken for my lover's was in fact someone else's. I blinked again as I noticed the blonde hair that lay across his neck. Dipping my head back slowly as not to wake him I realised the other body I was tangled up with in fact belonged to my mentor! How the hell did that happen? Luckily he was still deep in sleep and so I gingerly attempted to pull myself back and away from him yet he felt this and tightened his embrace, drawing me closer. He must have been dreaming of someone else too.

* * *

If you're wondering why this chapter is so short and why it ends so abruptly please scroll up and read the chunky Author's Note. (Hopefully writing this here will save any confusion!) A big thank you as always! :)


	31. Chapter XXXI

Author's Note

Hi again. I've finally managed to write some more, though you may have noticed I had to backtrack a little due to stopping mid paragraph in the last chapter. Thank you for all your kind words and your reviews!

Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXXI: Now my heart stumbles on things I don't know.**

In the dim light of dawn I began to stir from my slumber, a smile upon my lips. It felt like forever since I had slept at Jorge's side though I failed to think of the reason why. I sighed and snuggled closer to him so that my nose was pressed against his neck. His skin smelt smoky like that of a campfire. I frowned. Why would we have a campfire in the house? I opened my eyes and blinked a few times until they finally got used to the shift in light. I blinked again this time out of confusion. I wasn't at home in my nice, warm bed but laid on a fur lined bedroll in a tent. What was worse was the body I had mistaken for my lover's was in fact someone else's. I blinked again as I noticed the blonde hair that lay across his neck. Dipping my head back slowly as not to wake him I realised the other body I was tangled up with in fact belonged to my mentor! How the hell did that happen? Luckily he was still deep in sleep and so I gingerly attempted to pull myself back and away from him yet he felt this and tightened his embrace, drawing me closer. He must have been dreaming of someone else too. This close proximity caused a surge of heat to uncurl from my stomach. I could hear the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart. It matched well with the sound of his relaxed breathing and it almost swayed me to seek sleep once more. I fought off the urge. Though we were undoubtedly inappropriately close, a small part of me didn't wish to shrink away from the sleeping knight and this frightened me more than the impending discomfort that would surely ensue from him waking any moment now. My flurried thinking was disrupted by him stirring. His movements were short lived as he quickly stiffened. _Crap_. The suddenly stifling silence was eventually relieved by his horse voice.

"Edie, are you awake?" He asked softly.

Due to my head being tucked under his chin he was unsure if I was indeed still in slumber or if I had become rigid also. I suddenly realised my hand was resting against his chest as his usual steady heartbeat was beginning to quicken. I answered him with a nod. The heat had snaked up my throat, robbing me of my voice and now it pooled on my cheeks in an unbreakable blush. His arm slowly uncurled from around my waist. I moved to untangle my legs from his and quickly rolled away from him before sitting up, my back to him.

"My apologies." Basch offered probably unsure as to what to say to lessen the awkward air that hung heavily over us. He then quickly left the tent.

I huffed out a weary sigh. Great, why was it as soon as we were back on track with our usual student/ mentor friendship something would go and happen and result in this unpleasant embarrassment? I lifted a hand to my face, my fingers brushed against the hot skin of my cheek.

* * *

The camp slowly came to life once more as its inhabitants rose from their beds. I eventually left the tent and found Penelo and Vaan dismantling their own tent. As a price to pay for last night's over drinking, Vaan looked like death warmed up. His silver blonde hair was flat and lank and his normally tanned skin had a greyish tint to it. Unlike Penelo, his movements were sluggish and sloppy and even stood still he seemed to sway slightly.

"You're finally up!" Penelo greeted with a smile. Vaan groaned as if her cheery tone was causing him pain.

"Ugh, not so loud Penelo." He mumbled.

"Aww, is Vaan feeling a little delicate?" I cooed. Despite his queasy state he still managed to fire me an icy stare though due to his dull eyes the look lacked his desired effect. I chuckled.

"It should teach him to pace himself when drinking spirits." Penelo rolled up the tent's thick canvas.

"Well, I ain't never drinking again." He said fumbling with the tent polls.

"I'll remind you of that the next time you're gulping down ale."

"What, you don't think I'm serious? Penelo, there's no way I'm drinking again." He insisted.

"Whatever you say, Vaan." She rolled her eyes.

"I mean it!"

"Sure you do."

"Okay, fine, wanna bet?"

"I doubt you've got the Gil."

"C'mon, you scared you'll lose or something?"

"Fine. 50 Gil says you'll be guzzling down ale by the time we reach the Garif."

"You're on." Vaan thrust out his hand at her. She smiled and placed her hand within is and shook it to seal the deal. Vaan's enthusiasm soon quickly reverted back to his former sickly state.

"I really don't feel good." He moaned.

"Why don't you have a nice cooked breakfast?" Penelo suggested bundling the now packed-up tent pieces together.

"Ugh. I don't think so." Vaan blanched.

"It'll do you good. Some nice fried cockatrice eggs, some thick slices of saurian meat, fried tomato," I smirked as I noticed Vaan's expression of queasiness grow worse with each suggestion, "fried bread swimming in butter and lots of lovely milky coffee."

"I think I'm gonna puke!" He managed to say before dashing off, his hands firmly clamped over his mouth. Penelo giggled.

"Serves him right! He was so embarrassing last night!" She moved on to the next tent and with Vaan indisposed I decided to help her. "You okay? You're kind of quiet." She asked pulling the tent pegs from the ground.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't sleep very well last night, that's all." I shrugged.

My answer seemed good enough to disarm her concern and she reverted her attention back to deconstructing the tent. There was no way I was going to tell the real reason why I wasn't my usual talkative self. My thoughts were still stuck on what had happened this morning. Just how had we ending up like that? Not to mention the frightening fact that there had been very little desire in me to break the clinch.

After we had packed up our things Penelo went about helping the gypsy women prepare breakfast. I sat down besides Helena, a strong cup of coffee in hand. I guess maybe these strange feelings that had been stirred up were because it had been months since I had seen or been with my lover. Still, there was a great difference between Basch and Jorge so why would I so easily confuse the two? Helena's voice interrupted me from mulling the matter over.

"You're friend doesn't look very well." She nodded in Vaan's direction. He was sat hunched up with his sore head in his hands.

"Yeah, I think he had a little too much to drink." I smiled, happy for the distraction.

"The sky-pirates tell me you're travelling to the Garif's lands. What is it you seek there?"

"Well, we're hoping they will help us with something." I didn't want to explain in too much detail as I was sure Ashe wouldn't appreciate it. I was about to ask where it was they were travelling to when Julno was marched forward by his older brother, Gillis.

"What has he done now?" Helena sighed.

"Caught him going out to look for that dog again." My heart thudded deafening in my ears and my fingers tightened around the tin cup in my hands. Had I just heard him correctly?

"What dog?" I asked.

"El perro negro (_the black dog_)" Julno said

"It has followed us for a few weeks now. Julno and some of the other children befriended it but a few days ago it went missing."

"This black dog. How big was it? Did it have thick fur and a leather collar?" I quizzed.

"Why yes. Have you seen it too?" Said Helena.

"It's mine. My dog, Kaiser. I've been searching for him for months now and I always seem one step behind him."

"It's yours? I must admit I was quiet frightened by its presence in our camp at first I had thought it were a lone wolf yet it was so friendly and playful that the children had wanted to keep it. But, unfortunately, it went missing and ever since Julno keeps searching the plains for it."

"That was why you out in the plains all alone when we found you?" I asked Julno. The little boy frowned and Helena posed my question in Rozarrian to him.

"Si." He nodded.

I couldn't believe it. Not only was Kaiser alive and well he seemed to be on a journey of his own. Maybe he was searching for me. Then again, I was sure if he was trying to find me he would have done by now as he was smart dog. It was strange, almost as if he was trying to lead me somewhere but where and, more importantly, why?

After breakfast we gathered our things and took the time to trade and exchange items with the gypsies, who had bountiful supplies of water and food. Once we had distributed the backpacks amongst us it was time to bid farewell to the camp. The gypsies were planning on staying in this part of the plains for a week or so, so that they could build up supplies of animal hides and bones to sell onto specialist shops.

We said our goodbyes and set off once again trekking through the plains at a tireless pace. At midday we finally stopped to rest. I approached Basch who was stooped over, dipping his flask into a shallow stream to refill it. There was no way I wanted this uneasy air between us stretch out for the remainder of the trip and so decided to take the first step in amending things. After all, I still had a lot to learn from Basch in the art of combat.

"Erm, Basch?"

"Yes?" He straightened yet didn't turn to face me.

"I was hoping we could train."

He fastened the cap on the flask and turned to finally face me. His expression gave little away as to what he was thinking. He said,

"Her Highness' sword was damaged in battle earlier I must see to it, it is mended. Perhaps another time."

"Oh, okay." I tried to keep the disappointment from masking my tone. This wasn't good if this awkwardness was going to cost me my training. He moved to return back to our group yet I stepped in front of him. He swiftly halted. "About what happened this morning..." I began yet I could already feel the flush claiming my cheeks yet again.

"I apologise, I had never meant to.." He trailed off averting his gaze to the floor.

"You don't have to be sorry.. it was my fault, I thought you were someone else."

"Someone else? Your memory is returning?" I mentally slapped myself for stupidly stumbling into that one.

"No. Well, at least I don't think so. I just didn't realise it was you." I shrugged hoping he would buy my lie.

"You were dreaming a foul dream, speaking in a tongue I did not understand yet it sounded to be Rozarrian. I believe that your memory must be within your mind's reach."

I had been speaking Spanish in my sleep? My mind surged to try and remember the dream but nothing came forward. I gathered it must have been a dream about Jorge if I was dreaming in Spanish, it would also explain just why I had mistaken Basch for my boyfriend.

"I hope you're right, Basch." I nodded.

We returned back to the others who were sat snacking on some fruit and cheese the gypsies had traded with us.

* * *

We marched across the green plains in what was turning out to be an uneventful day. Though I welcomed the break from constant attacks from wildlife, it gave me too much time for my mind to slowly stumble over matters such as Kaiser and my little encounter with my mentor. By sundown we had travelled a good distance and with darkness claiming the sky we decided to set up camp once more.

"Are you sure you're okay? You've been quiet all day." Penelo pestered on our way back from gathering kindle for the camp fire.

"Julno told me he's seen Kaiser in these parts." It was probably best to give her some reason as to why I had been so closed mouthed, she'd get suspicious otherwise. Though saying that, I still wasn't keen on the idea of telling her about my and Basch's little incident this morning.

"Really? That's good news, Edie. Maybe we'll find him soon."

"I hope so."

With the camp finally rigged up and the small campfire crackling and glowing we all seated ourselves around its warmth and ate a pleasant fish stew Penelo had rustled up. Before long watch shifts were appointed and the group retired for the night. It was hard to believe this time last night we had been tipsy and merry, dancing and singing along with the gypsies as if we had always been a part of their horde. The only song that would weave through our ears tonight was the night's song of insects chirping and the soft breeze that rolled along the plains. Clouds slinked by silently occasionally masking the moon and its luminance.

Tonight was my night off and so I lay in the tent alone willing sleep to claim me. It stubbornly refused. I sighed and rolled over onto my back. I knew fare well why I wasn't deep in slumber. It was because niggling thoughts were nibbling at the fringes of my mind. Thoughts of Kaiser mingled with worries of just how much longer I could keep up my well constructed lie. Both Balthier and Fran were already suspicious and I doubt that distrust was going to wane anytime soon. Another sigh escaped my lips and I rolled onto my side. Then there was Basch. The less I dwelled on him the better, but my mind kept slowly ticking over what had happened. His warmth, his scent, his heartbeat had all been so intoxicating that there was a part of me that wanted nothing more but to experience it again. I now knew full well why I was feeling this way, I missed Jorge and being close to Basch brought back those feelings of security and content I experience so often with my lover. Still, it was inappropriate to feel this way and there was no way I was going to act upon this strange tangle of emotions. My eyes fluttered close and I forced all thought from my overactive mind. These strange feelings would fade soon enough.

A sudden cry jerked me from my dreams. Moving in rushed, panicked movements I wriggled out of my sleeping bag and tugged on my boots. Outside in the cool air I snatched up my spear and medic bag, which had strategically been placed for quick retrieval. It had been Penelo's voice I had heard cry for aid. I dashed past the smouldering embers that had previously been our camp fire and hurried to the edge of camp where Penelo and Fran had been standing watch. My heart rocketed as I saw they weren't at their posts.

"What's going on?" I asked Basch as he torn past me.

"The others are in need of our aid, a threat has come forth." He called over his shoulder.

I tightened my grip on my spear and raced after him. In the dim I could see in the distance figures flurrying and fighting, the moonlight occasionally glinting off swords and flashes armour. I moved closer to see a strange creature was being attacked by one of the many threats of the plains. The rest of our group were helping to bring down the beast which looked to be a bird-like Wu. I joined in the assault, bombarding it with all manner of magicks. It soon fell to the grass suddenly silent and still. As I caught my breath, my eyes wandered over the creature that had been attacked, which was attempting to rise from the ground. It had the body of a Hume, dressed in tribal clothing yet its face hid behind a carefully crafted mask. From the mask came large antlers like that of an antelope. I was unsure whether the antlers were a part of the headdress of actually apart of the creature.

"It be injured." Ashe announced as she stooped down to regard its arm.

I paced forward, my hand already delving into the medic bag for a potion. Its arm was mangled badly, probably as a result of a swift swipe of the Wu's powerful wings.

"Here." I held out the potion and it accepted it with its good hand and quickly took it. Its arm was soon mended along with whatever other injuries it had acquired in the battle. Renewed once more it rose to its feet.

"I thank you." It said to our group with a slow nod of its masked head. It had a deep voice tinged with an accent I couldn't quite place.

"You be Garif." Fran spoke, stepping forward.

"I am."

"How far are your lands from here?" Ashe enquired.

"But a few hours. Though you shall be turned away, Garif do not welcome outsiders." With that he bowed his head once more in thanks before turning and walking off into the night. He was definitely fearless as I would have sort safety in numbers rather than return alone back out into the plains of prowling threats. I watched him until his strange figure was engulfed by the night's gloom.

We returned back to our tents with heavy footsteps. I turned to Penelo who was still on watch duty with Fran.

"You okay?" I asked. I had been so worried it had been her that had been attacked.

"I'm fine. You should go and see if you can get some more rest." She waved off my concern with a nod of her head in the direction of my tent.

"'Night." I said before trudging tiredly towards my tent.

* * *

The Garif had been telling the truth, after a few hours of travel the next day we reached the cusp of Jahara. Here, a fast flowing river cut through the land and above it stood a well constructed wooden bridge. At the mouth of the village was a wooden gateway guarded by two Garif. Their appearance was similar to the Garif we had helped last night. I lingered towards the back of the pack as there was something I found menacing about those masks and twisted horns that sprouted from them.

"Who are you? This is Garif land. No place for Hume-children to play." I guess the travelling Garif was also telling the truth about us being shunned too. Ashe was about to speak up when she was interrupted by the voice of another Garif.

"They are wayfarers. They bring no harm. I saw them cross the Ozmone plain. They are warriors of great distinction. The fiends of the plains troubled them not at all. They did come to my aid when I was ambushed by a fiend." He said to his brethren. It was the Garif we had helped last night, I recognised his horn shape was somewhat different from the others. Perhaps that was how they could differentiate between one another.

"You ventured upon the plains alone, War-Chief? Again?" The guard asked him. The War-Chief remained silent. Sensing his superior wasn't going to answer his question, he turned to regard our group.

"What business have you with the Garif?" He asked.

"We seek your knowledge." Ashe answered, the Dawn Shard clutched in her hands.

"Let them pass. Their responsibility will be mine." The War-Chief insisted.

"If this is your wish, Warrior-Chief." He once more turned to us and said, "Then, you may pass. These days see many Humes wandering through our lands." He stepped aside to allow us passage.

We made our way over the bridge, our footsteps loud on the sun-warped wood. The village stretched out before us, a collection of mud huts and fencing fashioned from thick reeds. Beyond the cluster of huts stretched another bridge, leading to another strange tribal structure, two more guards blocked the path. The War-Chief paused in his steps and turned to us.

"Ah, I have not made introductions. I am Supinelu, War-Chief of this village. We Garif have been friends to all since long ago, however, lately the Hume world is in much turmoil. We must protect our village, and our people. As War-Chief, and protector of our village, I ask you: why have you come to this land?"

"It is as I said, we seek your knowledge of magicite lore so that we may now how to us this." Ashe outstretched her hand to show the Garif the dead stone nestled on her palm. The War-Chief nodded.

"Hmmm... I see. So you have come to ask about nethicite. You must speak with the elders. Though our masks may make it difficult for you to tell us apart, walk through the village and look with your eyes, listen with your ears."

"We shall. Thank you." Ashe said.

Great, so now we had to engage in a game of 'spot the elder'. We wondered around the small yet colourful village and approached Garif that would fit the picture of what we imagined a Garif elder would look like. Eventually we came across three Garif tranquilly loitering around outside one of the bizarre looking huts. Two of them were sat on mats, the other stood. As Ashe approached the Garif, the one on his feet turned and seemed to survey us.

"Oh? What is this? More Humes come to visit us? A little bigger this time, but no matter." I frowned at his words, just who had been here before us? "You need not tell me anything. I know you have come to our village to learn of the stones, the nethicite. We have knowledge of this passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Some of it remains, some has been lost in the history's sands."

"Then you can enlighten us?" Ashe's tone was hopeful.

"I... know nothing of the stones." He shook his head regrettably. "You must speak with the Great-Chief. He alone holds deep knowledge of these things. He alone remembers all the tellings. Cross the bridge to the north, and there you will find him. There are watchers at the bridge, so I think it be best to speak with War-Chief Supinelu. Here, give this to him. It will give consent to pass, though you may also be permitted to sway him." He plucked a stick riddled with carvings and painted a deep red from his belt and gave it to Ashe. She accepted it with a nod of thanks.

We found the War-Chief chatting to the two guards in front of the bridge.

"Did you learn what you wished?" He asked. Ashe shook her head and held out the stick.

"Ah, a Java stick, then the elder must have suggested you speak with the Great-Chief." He took the stick. "Yes it is true. The Great-Chief may know something that would aid you. Yet arranging an audience may be difficult..."

"I must learn about the nethicite. I cannot turn back now." Ashe insisted "Please, tell your Great-Chief that I am of the royal line of Dalmasca, a direct descendant of Dynast-King Raithwall. If the Garif have passed down knowledge of the stones, they must know of the nethicite that the Dynast-King once held."

"Do you have proof of your heritage?"

"I...I do not." Her tone was heavy as if her hopes were close to shattering. It was times such as this that I really felt like fighting for her. She had lost so much more than just her title and her birthright and yet she still slogged on regardless.

"Hmm. I have looked into your eyes and seen that you speak the truth, Hume-child. I give you my trust. The Great-Chief is ahead, across the bridge." With that he gestured to the two guards who stepped aside to allow us to pass.

"I thank you, War-Chief Supinelu." She said solemnly before pacing off across the bridge. We followed.

Entering the round structure made of mud and reeds revealed a large circular space which at its centre dwelled a roaring fire. Seated beyond this on a grand wooden throne was the Great-Chief. Large hangings of animal hide hung behind him. His appearance was similar to the other Garif except his white beard that sprouted from the chin of his mask was far longer and weaved into a thick plat. His antlers were far bigger making them look more like antlers of a deer. Ashe stopped before him, the Dawn Shard still clasped in her hand. There was a long moment of silence, the crackling of the fire attempting to fill the void of voices.

"You have come about the stone, have you not descendant of Rathwall?"

"Yes. Great-Chief I implore you, please tell me of its power."

He held out his hand to her in want to hold the stone. She complied and stepped forward before placing it into his waiting hand. His fingers wove around the dull lump. I noticed he had small, sharp, black nails. He slowly turned the stone this way and that as he scrutinized it.

"This nethicite- you have used it." He said eventually, though he still held up the stone, his gaze not breaking from it to address the Princess.

"It was not I who used it. Indeed I had hoped you could show me how. Thus I've come."

"Hmm." He finally lowered his hand and turned his head towards her. "You do not know the workings of the stone. Then we are no different."

"What?" Ashe gasped. I felt like rolling my eyes- we travelled all this way for nothing!

"In ages past, the gods made a gift of nethicite to my people. But the manner of its use eluded us. Displeased by our failure the gods took back their stones. They chose instead to give them to a Hume king. Called the Dynast-King, he used the nethicite's power to bring peace to a troubled time. It is a curious thing. Though the blood of Raithwall flows through your veins, you cannot wield nethicite."

"Cannot wield it? So then am I to understand you can't tell me how to use the stone?"

"Though it shame me so to admit. Here before me stands a descendant of the Dynast-King himself and I can accord her no help at all." He admitted dolefully. "Still, even if you knew how to use the nethicite, you would find it of small avail." He returned the Dawn Shard to her. "The Mist collected in the stone over ages past is lost, and with it the stone's power. It will be your posterity who wields the stone in ages yet to come." Ashe's head dropped slightly at this news, her eyes solemnly focused on the rock in her hands. "This stone is devoid of power. Empty, yet full of thirst. A terrible longing to drink the world dry. The power of men, and of magick Of good, and of evil. It is often those who desire nethicite whom the nethicite itself desires."

I was actually quite glad it wouldn't work. Even though this hindered Ashe's quest I wasn't keen on witnessing that almighty rupture of Mist that we had seen wipe away the Archadian fleet as if it had been nothing more than nasty a smear on the sky in need of ridding.

The crunch of approaching footsteps on the dry ground caused our heads to turn. Walking through the threshold of the War-Chief's throne chamber was the last person I ever expected to see again.

"Larsa!" Penelo gasped before hurrying over to greet him. I noticed Vaan quickly shadow her. After he had greeted us he turned to the Great-Chief and respectfully bowed, a graceful and well-practiced manoeuvre. I suddenly pieced together what the elder had meant by a smaller Hume visiting them, so it was Larsa. He must have known Ashe would travel here in hope of information on the Dawn Shard. Despite being young he was very informed. He turned to Ashe.

"Lady Ashe, I have come in means of offering a proposal."

"Of what such thing?"

"The Garif are unable to aid you in your quest, which is why we must travel to Mount Bur-Omisace."

"To Bur-Omisace?"

"I say we ought leave tomorrow. I was going to wait for my escort to return, but meeting you presents a great opportunity. This terrible war can be stopped, but I will need your help to do so."

"A war?" Things weren't sounding good, we had probably lost valuable time in travelling here and with a war looming over head it would seem time was inevitably running out.

"You know the Marquis Ondore leads group of insurgents- your pardon, he leads a large resistance force against the Empire. Lady Ashe, neither of countries can afford this now. The Rozarrian Empire would stir. They would aid the resistance and use this aid as a pretext to declare war on Archadia. And Archadia would have no choice but to answer." Ashe remained silent, his words seemed to lie heavily on her shoulders as I noticed them slump slightly. "Lady Ashe, let us go to Bur-Ominsace. With the blessing of his grace the Grand Kilitas Anastasis you may rightly wear your crown, and declare the restoration of the kingdom of Dalmasca. As Queen, you can call for peace between the Empire and Dalmasca and stop Marquis Ondore."

"For peace?" She gasped, "How dare you say that! The Empire attacked us, stole all that we hold dear and you would have me save them from war?" Her anger swelled with each word leaving her lips.

"Dalmasca would be the battlefield! What if nethicite was used on Rabanastre? You know my brother would do this!" He had a point there, the Empire had plenty of nethicite fire power and Vayne seemed the type to own a trigger happy finger. Ashe realised he was speaking sense and backed down, a worried look gripping her features. "Forgive me, I presumed overmuch. I could think of no other way to avoid bloodshed. If you cannot trust me, then please, take me as your hostage."

"Taking you hostage would be a grave offence, what if we we're found with you amidst our ranks? It wouldn't end well for us. Why should we take such a risk?" Balthier chimed in. I could tell he was yet again after some compensation for putting his neck on the line.

"Because he speaks sense." Ashe said, her fingers tightening their grip around the stone

"Great, so Larsa's coming too?" Penelo chimed happily. The little lord returned her amiable smile.

* * *

Night soon came and we dined on a meal of stewed roots and beans that the Garif offered us. They also passed round a pipe from which curled a sweet smelling smoke. Vaan once again attempted to inhale it only to react as he did the previous night. This seemed to amuse the elders who sat around the fire with us. The Garif kindly offered their huts as accommodation for us, yet due to our ever swelling ranks there wasn't entirely enough room for all and so the likes of the sky-pirates and Basch took it upon themselves to take the shelter of our tents instead. After Penelo and I had helped them set the canvas structures up once again, I turned to go stow my bag and spear in my assigned hut that I was sharing with Ashe and Penelo.

"Edie." Basch's voice caused me to cut short my movements and I turn to face him. "Now be a good time for your training, if you still sort to do so." He pulled his light weight sword from one of the many backpacks we carried.

"Great. Okay, I'll just go and put my bags on my bed." I hurriedly entered the hut and dumped the medic bag, my own bag and my assigned back-pack on the futon-like bed that I would sleep in tonight.

We walked a little way off from the collection of huts, nearer the river. Its water was now as dark as the sky, the only thing disturbing its inky depths were ripples of moonlight that sashayed downstream. There were many torches fixed to posts dotted around the small village so that their glow could flicker upon the settlement in a calm luminance.

"Here will do well enough." Basch stopped and drew his sword. The ring of its polished steel faded into the lull of the night.

"So what's tonight's lesson?" I was keen to further myself and hoped he would teach me another technique I could use in battle.

"No lesson, we are to merely spar for tonight." I nodded. "You may be more powerful now thanks to the Gigas though you are still in need of assessing the limits of your new found strength. Tonight, we switch roles. You are to attack me."

With that he positioned himself into an en guard stance and awaited my assault. I released a few measure breaths before charging towards him with quick steps, swinging my spear in a swift swoop. As expected he easily blocked it. As we continued to fight I kept in mind all the things he had taught me: my posture, my footing and how to dodge his blows. I was determined to prove to him that I had heeded his lessons well and that I could hold my own in battle.

* * *

Balthier stood at the entrance of his tent his attention to the two distant figures swirling around each other before inevitably crashing together in a clash of weapons. Fran paced towards him, the sound of her high-heeled shoes clicking against the hard ground causing him to refocus his attention upon her.

"She is improving." The Viera said as she stood at his side. He returned his attention back to his fellow travellers.

"You think so?" He asked, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.

"I do." There was a pause as they continued to watch. "Why does this interest you so?"

"Because, my dear, _that_ is not fighting."

"Oh? Then what be it?"

"Foreplay." He tittered before turning and ducking into his tent.

* * *

I whirled my spear around again only for my attack to be effortlessly blocked. Basch wasted no time in batting my weapon away from him and pointing the tip of his sword at my throat. We stood still and silent for a beat, the sound of our heavy breaths mingling with the rush of the river. I felt a surge of anger well up within me. How was it whenever we sparred it always ended with me losing? Normally, we'd return to our starting positions and repeat the exercise yet I didn't wish to admit my defeat, not yet. I quickly whacked away his sword and instigated another attack. Though surprised by my breaking from the norm, Basch effortlessly manage to submerge himself in battle once more. A few moves later he had yet again managed to gain the upper hand, his sword was once again at my throat. A hiss of annoyance curled from my lips and I swiped aside his sword once more and rattled off a string of attacks, putting as much of my strength into them as I could muster. He remained ever calm and accepted my assault with easy until yet again we stood still, his sword to my throat.

I made to move to strike it back and way from me again yet he anticipated this, dodging my hit and quickly tripping me. I lay on the dusty ground looking up at the stars lazily twinkling in the sky's blackness. My chest heaved as I attempted to recover my breath. His hand reached down to me. I dragged myself to a sitting up position. Despite being tired, I ignored his gesture and rose to my feet without his help.

"Attacking in anger blinds your judgement. You must never do this in battle." He advised handing me my spear. It seems I had lost it on my travels to the ground. I retrieved it from his hands with a nod and an irritable sigh. "You are displeased?"

"I just thought I'd be able to last longer than five minutes against you, that's all." I huffed.

"Worry not. You may have strength yet skill takes time to acquire." He reassured, placing a hand on my shoulder. I guess he was right yet it was still hard to shake the discontent that I felt. I looked up at him to see he was still regarding me and my sullen mood. I suddenly felt uneasy under his gaze and shrugged of his hand. He took a step back before speaking. "Thus concludes today's lesson. Go, rest now." He sheathed his sword.

"Okay. Good night." I said as I began to trek back to my hut.

"Dream well." He returned.

* * *

Basch lay in the tent alone. He could finally settle down for rest now that he had surveyed the perimeter of the village for any lurking threats. He had even offered to stand guard with the other Garif at the mouth of the village yet they kindly declined saying they would not ask such a thing of a guest. He tugged the thin blanket over his form with a sigh. He hoped sleep would claim him sooner tonight as the constant trek across the plains was finally beginning to gnaw at his drive. His limbs felt heavy from the battles against the fiends and wildlife over the past few days. Despite his fatigue sleep didn't come forth so willingly and he knew why. Last night's events had been lurking in the back of his mind all day and without the distraction of his duties they slunk into view. Edie. How peaceful she had been sleeping in his arms. No, now wasn't time to dwell on such a thing. His obligation to serve the Lady Ashe couldn't be sidetracked for whatever feelings had arose last night. It would be a conflict of interest if he heeded them or even worse acted upon them. He rolled onto his side, his arms firmly folded across his chest as he waited patiently to be summoned by slumber.

He awoke gradually, the pleasant chorus of birdsong and the warmth of morning sunlight upon his face stirred him. He opened his eyes slowly to find he was staring up at the familiar ceiling of his quarters in the palace grounds in Rabanastre. When he had rose to the position of captain he had been granted with his own room instead of sleeping in the crowded barracks. Though it was plain and pokey he enjoyed resting in its surroundings while off-duty.

He knew he had to rise and welcome another day of training and serving his monarchy yet he decided a few more moments rest would be benifical. With a soft sigh, his eyes fluttered close once more. It was then he felt it, fingertips lightly tracing the stubble decorating his jaw line. His brow furrowed in puzzlement as he once again opened his eyes. He turned his head until his cheek lay against the soft pillow.

"You were dreaming." She said softly, her fingers still lazily snaking tracks across his jaw. She lay beside him on her stomach, her free hand propping up her chin. That wonderful dark hair of hers flowed down the length of her exposed back like spilt ink. Her rose pink lips curled into a small smile.

"Edie?" He turn to roll on his side, his face still a portrait of confusion. He was suddenly very aware that neither of them were wearing much, in fact the only thing masking their skin was the light cotton bed sheet. He noticed how it pooled around the small of her waist.

"Hmm?" She too turned on her side, tucking her head under his chin, her ear pressed against the top of his chest. He was positive she could hear how his heart rate had soared to a suddenly overactive beat.

"How...? I-I-" It was as he stumbled to pose his question he noticed how her body was pressed against his own. Her skin against his.

"Shhh." She silenced his stuttering with a soft kiss planted on his neck. His breath hitched in his throat. She trailed her lips up towards his jaw in a procession of feather-light kisses.

"Edie stop." He managed to croak out, there was little demand in his tone. Panic began to rise in him. This was improper. "Edie.." His hand moved to seize her shoulder in hope to cease her actions yet as his hand gripped her, her lips gently brushed against his own.

He jerked awake with a gasp. He took in ragged breaths of the night air and willed his heart to stop rattling in his chest. When it finally died down to a softer beat he slumped back once more onto his bedroll. A hand rubbed at his eyes as if trying to rid his mind of the whole thing yet the scene remained stubbornly imprinted in his thoughts. He dragged it across his forehead brushing back stray strands of his hair that had been disturbed in his sleep. These types of dreams where a common ground for the knight as his subconscious seemed to relish mocking him due to his self-inflicted celibacy. Though he had endured them before well enough, never had the dreams been as lucid as this nor had they been of a woman he actually knew. This wasn't good.


	32. Chapter XXXII

Author's Notes

Hi again, seems as I've had a little more time to write I thought I'd upload a nice long chapter. Don't worry, Edie will finally find Kaiser in a few chapters time, I promise! I have to say I'm quite enjoying toying with Edie and Basch at the moment and as for the dreamscenes all I can say is I've been watching a little too much 'True Blood' lately! :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XII I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXXII: It's the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you. **

We rose with the sun. After breakfast I returned to the hut to sort through my bags. My own bag was full of things that seemed to be of no use in this realm. I emptied the contents on the futon and looked over the collection: gum wrappers, hair clips, lipgloss and my mobile phone which had been bled of battery so long ago. I picked it up. It was ridiculously uncomplicated, just a little red plastic thing that didn't have the usual necessities that all the other brand name phones did. I sighed and went to replace it back in my bag. Who knows maybe I could find a charger or it might miraculously regain its battery some day, either way I couldn't part with it yet. It was a reminder that I wasn't of this realm and I needed nothing more to find Kaiser and return. As I slung it back into my bag I noticed it, a small rip in the lining. It wasn't surprising the thing was in tatters I had had it quite some time now. I poked a finger around in the tear to see if any other everyday items had slipped into the gash. My fingers brushed against something small. Frowning, I pulled it from the bowels of the bag and held it up. Glinting in the morning sunlight that filtered through the hut's shutters was something I thought I had lost. My necklace.

"Wow, that sure is pretty." I turned my head to see Penelo stood in the doorway, her eyes still lingering on the small silver dragonfly pendent. "Is it yours?"

"Yeah. I found it in my bag." I said lowering it. "My mum bought me it." I traced my finger over the little glass coated wings of the dragonfly remembering how it had been a birthday present when I was Penelo's age.

"You just remember something." Penelo paced forward and folded to her knees before me. "Edie, you just remembered something from your past! Tell me, what do you remember?" She questioned excitedly. My stomach sunk, I had said too much already. Though I suppose it wouldn't be a lie if I told her, I'd just leave out the key fact that the memory took place in a different world.

"I saw it at a jeweller's when I was about your age. Every time I walked past that shop I would stop and look at it. Mum noticed just how much I liked it so she bought it for my birthday."

"This is great!" She hugged me, her happiness for my apparent fortune made me feel all the more wretched. "This is the beginning, you'll hopefully start to remember more and more about who you are from here onwards."

"Yeah.." I forced a smile, it felt tight on my lips.

"Can I?" She held out her hand in want to have a closer look at the necklace. I gladly handed her it.

"It's lovely." She smiled, holding it up just I had done before. It was then I actually noticed Penelo didn't own any jewellery. Being a pauper she had probably never even wore such a thing.

"It's yours if you want it." Her head snapped round to face me, she slowly lowered her hand.

"No. I couldn't, it's yours." She held out her hand, the necklace curled up in her palm.

"Sure you can. Penelo, ever since I've met you you've been nothing but kind to me. I've always wanted to thank you for it and this is the best way I can think of." It was true and besides she had been good enough to craft me a charm for my spear. I plucked the necklace from her palm and lent forward so I could secure it around her slender neck. The pendent rested against the collar of her clothing, the blue –green of the dragonfly's glass wings complemented her outfit wonderfully. It had looked as if it were a bespoke piece, crafted just for her. Her fingers ran over the pendant before a smile broke out on her lips.

"Thank you so much, I love it!" She enveloped me in another hug. At least it made me feel somewhat less shameful for lying to her yet again.

Penelo and I left the hut and aided the sky-pirates and Basch deconstruct their tents. Basch seemed exhausted, his mind was clearly elsewhere as he struggled to untie one of the tent's guidelines from its tent peg. I watched him fumble for a few minutes more before giving in with a soft chuckle and leaning down to pluck the tent peg from his clumsy hands. He flinched as my fingers brushed against his. I shrugged off his jumpiness and put it down to him being distracted (undoubtedly by his duties to his princess) and unravelled the cord from the wooden peg with no difficulty.

"See? Easy." I smiled handing him the tent peg. His eyes flickered over my face slowly, hesitantly as if unsure whether he should look at me. There was a look in his eyes that I had only ever seen when he looked at Ashe. It was a look of guilt. "You okay?" I questioned, straightening up.

"I did not rest well." He answered averting his gaze. He reached out for another peg and attempted to once again free it from the guide rope of the tent but failed at separating them. Poor guy, he was obviously fretting about just what lied ahead on Ashe's quest. It must have been preying on his mind all night for him to seem this strung out.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? I tell you what, how about you let me finish up here and you go and get some breakfast, hmm?" I offered once again moving to take the peg from him.

"Very well." He gave me the peg seeming to take extra care that our hands didn't touch as they had accidently before. "That is kind of you." He rose from his knees and trudge off towards the others with heavy footsteps. I sighed. I guess he was going to be too tired to train me today.

After we packed away the tents and gathered our things, we regrouped and thanked the Garif for their help and hospitalities. I was still unsure if we were actually travelling to Mount Bur-Omisace, Ashe hadn't mentioned anything more on the matter. Destination or no we soon moved to leave the little village, Ashe as always took her usual position at the head of the pack. I hung back with the two teenagers, the others a little distance behinds us.

"Lady Ashe?" Larsa had been waiting patiently for her on the bridge leading to the Ozmone plains. "I ask you for your decision as to how we proceed."

"I will accompany you to Mount Bur-Omisace."

"I had hoped you'd say yes. I am glad." His smile was as genuine as his words.

"My heart is not set I still have questions. I hope to find answers along the way."

"I had other reason to invite you." He admitted. "There is someone I'd like you to meet waiting on Bur-Omisace."

"Who is that?"

"An enemy and an ally also. You will just have to wait and see for yourself." He turned and leisurely made his way out of the village leaving Ashe to look on after him. Vaan, who had been eavesdropping on their chat, approached her.

"That Larsa sure likes his secrets." He had a point the boy was always well informed and one step ahead of us all, even the cunning Balthier had been impressed by him at the Lhusu Mines.

"He does not mean ill by it."

"He's not bad. A least for an Imperial." He absentmindedly rubbed at his nose as he watched the subject of discussion off in the distance before setting off to catch up with him. We followed.

* * *

We hiked along the plains until the afternoon drew close. Whilst taking a break sitting on the soft grass, Vaan passed Penelo the water flask.

"Hey Penelo, where'd ya get the necklace?" He nodded to the dragonfly pendant.

"Oh, Edie gave me it. Isn't it pretty?" Her fingers lightly ran over the silver form, a smile on her lips.

"And where did such a trinket come from? I don't recall you sporting it before, Edie." Balthier questioned as he seated himself beside Larsa, whose eyes were also wandering over the necklace.

"It was in my bag." I shrugged.

"Let me guess, you forgot you had it." Balthier said before taking a smug swig from his flask. I fought the urge to give him a tight glare.

"Actually, she remembered how she got it. It was a gift from her mother." Penelo informed him matter-o-factly.

"Is that so?" His eyebrows rose somewhat, a clear indication his curiosity had been ensnared.

"Yep. It was a birthday present." I purposely kept my answer short so there was less of a chance of him catching me out.

"Do you recall anything else perhaps?"

"Nope. That's about it."

"Well, if it helps any it looks to be of Rozarrian design." Larsa said.

"Rozarrian you say?" Though the question was posed at Larsa his eyes didn't stray from my face. He was probably attempting to gauge my reaction to the information given.

"Yes, they favour the image of the dragonfly, it symbols metamorphosis and longevity in their culture." He explained. His know-it-all ways were beginning to grate on me.

"Is that so? May I ask how is it you know such?" Balthier's eyes finally flickered from me to our new companion. His stare was just as calculating.

"It is part of my schooling to learn the history and culture of different countries. Though, it was my mother who told me as such, she had a fondness for Rozarrian jewellery." He admitted, a tinge of sadness detectable in his tone.

"Then it would be astute to assume you can also speak the language?"

"Acertaste pero solo mi sabes un pococito. (_You guessed right though I only know a little_)" He said with a mischievous smile. I tried to keep the shock from gripping my features. _For crying out loud was there anyone who couldn't speak Spanish in this group?_

"Wow! You can really speak Rozzarrian. What other languages do you know, Larsa?" Penelo seemed thrilled to be in the presence of someone who was knowledgeable of other tongues. I guess he seemed all the more exotic to her as he was a quite the contrast from the likes of her and Vaan.

"I can speak quite a few, though not fluently." He seemed a little self-conscious of her attention. Either that or perhaps he was just being humble.

"We have rested plenty, we must move on." Ashe interrupted as she approached our little gathering.

"As you wish, Highness." Balthier chimed, a slither of sarcasm in his voice.

Clearly detecting it, she narrowed her eyes warningly. He smiled and smoothly rose from the grass before pacing past her to go and join his partner.

We didn't stop again until nightfall. When Ashe finally announced that we were to make camp I exhaled a lungful of air in relief and quickly shed my bags. Carrying the supplies was starting to bend my back out of shape. Yet before I could rest the menial jobs of setting up camp had to be completed. Constructing tents, building a fire and preparing dinner always seemed to take forever after a long day of trekking.

I stood with my arms weighed down with cuts of wood near a small overgrowth waiting patiently for Basch to cut down more of the thin trees for fire logs. He swung his axe in a heavy swoop, toppling the willowy tree with ease.

"Isn't that enough?" I whined feeling my arms going numb under the weight.

"Not if you want the fire to withstand the night." He answered chopping the fallen sapling into sections making it easier to carry. He still had been pretty quiet throughout the whole of the chore. I knew that he didn't need to concentrate that much to chop up fire wood. Then again, he was never really one to start a typical conversation.

"Can we train after dinner?"

"I think it best you have a night free from training. It will do you well to rest." He picked out another tree and began to hack at it.

"Oh, okay." I mumbled slightly disappointed that I wasn't going to be coached. All I wanted was to become a better fighter and it was sure taking some time for me to become one so having a night off wasn't really an option in my opinion. If he hadn't been so obviously exhausted I would have protested.

After dinner we drew up watch shifts and got ready to retire for the night. Because Larsa was accompanying us we didn't ask him to stand guard and so he shared a tent with the person who had the night off, which happened to be Basch. It would seem I had drawn the short straw as I had been paired up with Balthier for my shift. I grumbled under my breath as I snatched up my spear and strutted over to where he was sat staring out at the dark plains. He was seated upon a rock, his pistol laid across his lap. I slumped down beside him, trying to keep the disenchanted look from souring my face. He would just love to relish in my dissatisfaction. A flash of sliver caught my eye and I turned to look at him. He held a hip flask to his lips.

"It makes the tedium of this task seem all the more endurable." He justified after he had taken a nip from it. He paused for a beat before offering it to me. "Care to join me? I'm told it is most unsociable to drink alone."

"What is it?" I took the flask from his fingers and sniffed at its contents. It burnt the back of my nose. Whatever it was it defiantly packed a powerful punch.

"Bhujerban Madhu. It's quite strong so I suggest to pass it up if you are weak stomached."

"I'm sure I can handle it." He really didn't have a clue who he was talking to. I hailed from the nation that invented binge drinking! I think it was safe to say I could handle my booze. I took a hit of it. It was just as potent as I had expected as it burnt my throat as it snaked its way down to my stomach where it warmed my gut with a pleasant heat. I noticed he had been carefully watching me, probably to see if I'd gag on the stuff. "Not bad." I handed him back the flask.

Seemingly pleased by my efforts that crooked smile claimed his lips.

"It would seem I have found an apt drinking partner."

"Likewise." I returned his smirk.

"Song goes well with drink. Tell me do you know of any drinking songs?"

"Nope. Besides I doubt the others would be pleased if we woke them up just because you fancied a sing-a-long." I snorted.

"Shame." He took another sip and passed the flask. "Stories are just as suitable. How about you tell me this here tale about just how you lost your memory? I do love tall tales." I knew it was too good to be true to have him be friendly with me, so he was prying after all.

"Maybe next time. Besides, you're an infamous sky-pirate I think you're more likely to have fascinating stories to tell out of the two of us." I took a sip of the spirit.

"Very well." He said accepting the flask yet again. I was still a little surprised he had dropped the subject so suddenly but then again he did always enjoyed to indulge in talking about his favourite subject, himself.

* * *

"... and that was when Fran did come across me. In the middle of the Archadian sea, in a rowing boat, dressed in woman's clothing- petticoats and all." He summed up his long and meandering tale, which was surprisingly amusing.

He had undoubtedly learnt the art of tale telling to near perfection. He hadn't paused in his talking in over an hour and yet I still wished to hear more. Who knew being a sky-pirate was so exciting. I could almost see why Vaan craved it.

"You're kidding!" I tittered. "You really escaped being captured by posing as a woman?" He lowered the flask from his lips and handed me it.

"It wasn't my finest hour, I confess, yet piracy isn't without its improvisations."

I chuckled lifting the flask to my lips. The liquor was working well and I could feel its satisfying effect upon my manner and body. We continued to drink and Balthier continued to tell his outlandish stories of debauchery. By the time Ashe and Fran came to relieve us of our watch I hadn't realised how quickly time had passed. I lurched up from my sitting place and it hit me. The full effect of the Madhu drop kicked me in the head. I stumbled, grasping the rock in hope to steady myself.

"Whoa." I mumbled taking a few breaths before slowly stretching to full height. The ground suddenly seemed very unsteady under my sluggish feet.

"I did warn you." Balthier pocketed the evidence before grabbed me by the elbow and attempted to usher me away from the questionable stares of Ashe and Fran. If either of them caught wind of what was up they'd no doubt be displeased. "She's just in need of rest." He said over his shoulder in hope to disarm his fellow travellers' suspicious stares.

"Wow.. I feel drunk." I slurred.

"Nothing a night's sleep won't amend." He said, ducking into our tent.

I flopped down on my hands and knees and crawled in after him, swaying all the while. I sprawled out on my sleeping bag and willed the confines of the tent to stop spinning. _God, I haven't been this drunk in ages!_ Sleep quickly gripped me and I happily submitted.

I awoke in the dead of night with a groan. My guts felt like I had been chugging bleach and my head was groggy. I took some deep breaths in hope to calm my churning stomach though it didn't work. The sensation didn't lessen any. I attempted to pull myself up. Maybe some fresh air would cure me intoxication. My stomach lurched at my body's movements. It seemed I had woken Balthier as he sat up and drawled,

"What is it now?" Even though he was half awake he still managed to sound irritated I had disrupted his sleep.

"Ugh! I'm gonna be sick!" I gasped.

"Outside! Don't even dare to think of doing it in here!" Balthier quickly fumbled with the tent's flap and held it back so I could exit swiftly.

I hurriedly clambered out of the tent and dashed to the edge of camp where the overgrowth was, all the while willing my body to hold the contents of my stomach until I reached it. I doubled over and the violent spasms of my gut were too hard to fight off any longer. I heaved and all the toxic matter that had been sloshing about in my stomach came up. I gagged and coughed trying to keep a regular breathing pattern while I puked up. When my body was finally satisfied it had emptied enough I straightened and dragged the back of my hand across my mouth. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Despite being sick this did little to relieve my drunken symptoms. I staggered back to camp. Balthier was stood waiting outside our tent his arms crossed over his chest.

"Feeling better?" There was no concern in his tone.

"Nope." I mumbled. I stumbled and landed in an inelegant heap in front of the tent.

"Don't think that I'm going to pick you up. I did warn you it was powerful stuff."

"Oh whatever, Balthier! I'll sleep here!" I curled up into a ball. The cool earth actually seemed to alleviate my heated skin somewhat.

"Is something wrong?" Basch stepped out of his tent, which neighboured ours. Looks like my little outburst had disturbed him from sleep.

"Nothing to fret about, Captain. As you were." He dismissed him with a wave of the hand.

"Why is she lying on the ground?" He stooped to observe me. He probably could smell the booze on me and recoiled. "Is she... drunk?" Basch hissed at the sky-pirate.

"Possibly." He lazily rolled the word over his tongue as if attempting to work out just how much bother he'd be in.

"Balthier, you mean to tell me you two were drinking on your shift? Have you no decency or common sense?" Though his anger was evident he didn't raise his voice in case he woke the rest of our camp. "What, do you suggest, we are to do with her now?"

"Oh come, come, Basch. You make it as if I am to blame. She isn't a child, she is of my age and it isn't my doing that she can't handle her alcohol." He said offhandedly, his hands to his hips. "If she sorts to sleep out here, I say she may sleep where she falls."

Basch didn't say anything more. Though clearly annoyed by the sky-pirate's shenanigans it was late so he merely snatched my blanket from my tent and draped it over me before returning to his own tent.

* * *

I rolled onto my side, still feeling woozy from the drink. The soft light of the fire filtered through the thin canvas of the tent. The cheerful chatter of my friends rung in the night air, it mingled with the distant crash of the waves and the sound of Spanish music blaring from someone's radio a few camps away. The smell of the fire's smoke and marijuana curled in through the tent's door in a heavy perfume. I could only just smell the salty scent of the sea amongst it. I did love San Juan but trying to sleep on the beach wasn't always the most comfortable of things. The air was hot in the tent and so I had merely slept in my damp bikini, too tired and drunk to bother changing. My hair was stiff and knotted due to the sea water drying in it. Just as I was about it give in to sleep once more. The sound of the tent door being fully unzipped caused me to stir. He slunk onto his bedroll behind be and pulled me close to him so that my back pressed against him, his arm around my waist. I sighed.

"Mi he pensado que nunca vas a venir a la cama. (_I thought you were never going to come to bed._)" I mumbled sleepily, happy to be in his arms.

"It would be a sin to allow you to dream alone." Replied a gravelly voice. I froze. The familiar sound of his voice and the fact that his words hadn't been spoken in Spanish seemed to suddenly snap me out of my drunken stupor. I turn my head and in the dim light could make out his features: blonde hair, stubble and a nasty gash marring his brow.

"Basch?" I squeaked.

I woke suddenly the morning light stung my eyes and I winced, quickly shielding them from its onslaught with my hands. I groaned as I gingerly pulled myself up. I had slept outside?

"A-ha, she lives! Though I fear she may not be in one piece." Balthier's voice rang teasingly.

I squinted up at him, the full force of my hangover headache smacking me in the back of the head.

"Ugh!"

"Ill head?" He questioned. I merely answered with a slight nod of my heavy head. "The horrid hindrance of overindulging. Although, I must say, I was impressed by how much alcohol as waif such as your self could knock back."

Fran paused at his side her attention placed on me. I wasn't comfortable in being their little novelty.

"I've had enough practice." I muttered carefully rising to my feet. I wobbled a little.

"I thought as such. You will make a fine drinking companion. Although I would suggest that you amend your calling the good Captain's name in your sleep, tis' most off putting." He suggested with a smile.

I snapped my head up to look at him once more, my eyes suddenly wide. He had heard me? I must have been talking in my sleep again.

"Well we're not drinking now so I don't have to stay and talk with you." I growled before pacing off.

"How cruel you are." I overheard Fran say to him as I made my getaway.

I sipped at my water flask hoping it would rid my tongue of the foul taste that laced it. My head throbbed dully and my stomach still gurgled as if unsure it could accept any breakfast. I wanted nothing more but to go back to sleep yet another day of travel was ready and waiting for me to endure it. I turned my nose up at breakfast when Penelo offered me a tin bowl full of porridge.

"You alright? You look a little pale." She sat down in the middle of Larsa and I. Larsa happily accepted his breakfast with a nod of his head.

"Yeah, I'm just tired I guess."

"Yeah right! I heard you and Balthier were drinking Madhu on your shift." Vaan commented in-between mouthfuls of his breakfast.

"What? Well no wonder you're ill, Edie. That stuff's lethal." Penelo said disapprovingly.

"That reminds me- you own me 50 Gil, Penelo."

"Oh, is that so?" She turned her head from me to Vaan.

"We had a bet remember. I haven't touched any booze since and we've already been to see the Garif, I win." He proclaimed proudly, pointing his spoon to his chest.

"Fine!" She huffed and pulled out a paper note from her coin purse. Vaan accepted it with a contented grin.

"Heh, now I can buy a whole keg of ale with this Gil."

"You don't wish to end up in the same state as this one do you now, Vaan." Balthier said from across the blacked fire pit as he put aside his bowl.

I would have shot him a sour stare but my head hurt too much to even bother. Vaan regarded me obviously remembering just how horrible it felt to have a raging headache and an unsettled stomach. He pocketed the money.

* * *

We packed up and set off shortly after breakfast. I lagged behind the group along our trek, fatigue gripping me hard. Damn sky-pirate how come he wasn't in the same state? I bet he schemed this, I knew I should have been more suspicious that he was actually being nice for once.

As the day passed I proved useless in fights as in my hungover condition summoning magicks was twice the challenge, most of the time the spells would frizzle out at my finger tips. I had hoped a potion would be able to cure my self-inflicted sickness though Ashe denied it, saying it was would be a waste of a resources as my illness wasn't life threatening or in need of immediate attention. I plodded on with tired feet along the plains praying we would stop and rest soon. As if sensing my desperation for a break Ashe also denied this and we had to march on through the whole of the day. Her new destination was set there was no breaking her determination now. So we snacked on dried meat for lunch as we walked. I passed my ration up, giving it to Vaan who happily wolfed it down.

We finally began to set up camp as the sky turned a gentle pink. I fumbled through my given chores to help make camp and at long last sat down in front of the camp fire. The flames swirled and consumed the wood in a hypnotising dance. With my frazzled head finally able to rest I stared into the fire's light and attempted to concentrate on its warmth rather than my niggling headache. Basch stepped in front of me, my spear in his hands. He stretched down his hands in offering it.

"Oh not tonight, please." I muttered though still accepting my weapon.

"You did nay train yesterday and so we must practice today." He insisted.

"But I'm tired, Basch!" I bleated, though rising to my feet either way, using my spear to steady myself. I suppose he did have a point, I had wanted to train yesterday and had been disappointed when he had suggested otherwise.

"No, you're suffering from a hangover." He corrected turning to walk from the camp. I rolled my eyes and followed. Was anyone going to let me live that one down? "If you have time enough to drink, you have time enough to train." We paused a little way from camp, the fire's radiance and the moonlight gave us enough visibility.

"Okay, so what am I learning today?" I said as enthusiastically as one could muster with a raging headache and tired legs.

"You still need to be adapted to the abilities you have learnt."

"So we're sparring again?" I tried to keep the discontent from my voice. I was growing to hate sparring. What was the point when I only lasted five measly minutes against him? How could I manage to gauge my new found strength and skill if every time we fought it always ended with me on my butt in a heartbeat?

"That be a problem?" He questioned, his arms crossing over his chest. Despite his serious stance his tone was light.

"No, not at all." I said taking proper hold of my spear. A swell of guilt curled in my stomach. I shouldn't be so ungrateful. He was taking the time to teach me, time he needed to guard his princess. The least I could do is grin and bear it even if it did mean me getting my butt kicked more times than I could count. "Okay, who's attacking who?"

"You attack me."

"Right." I pushed my headache to the depths of my mind and willed my wobbly limbs to be strong as I charged at him.

As expected I didn't last long before I tumbled clumsily to the ground, his sword pointed at me. I dragged myself up from the dirt and took my position before yet again instigating an attack. I was worse than usual thanks to my drained demeanour, my hangover making me slower and ham-fisted. As I moved to start another assault, he easily halted my attack by grabbing the pole of my spear and yanking it away from me, effortlessly throwing me off balance. Unable to stop, I hurtled into him. Luckily my force didn't send the both of us toppling to the ground. Instead he had braced me, gripping my arms hard. It was like hitting a brick wall and I stood in his grip dazed for a long moment.

"You are alright?"

I suddenly realised my face was pretty much against his chest, my spear on the floor. I noticed his voice seemed guarded, as if trying to mask something. I tilted my head back to peer up at him. Though little on his face gave away just what he was feeling, his steady heartbeat shot up a jolt or two. It seemed to pulse through his chest and into mine seems as we were in such a close clinch. I normally would have put this down to our training session yet he had barely broken a sweat against my puny onslaught.

"Erm, yeah." I nodded, somewhat distracted by the feel of his hands as they slowly traced upwards to my shoulders so he could gently push me back and away from him. I followed his motions and took a step back. The skin on my arms tingled where his fingers had wandered. "I'm okay." He removed his hands.

"Take better grip of your spear." He advised as he turned and retrieved it from the ground.

"Right." I nodded, accepting my weapon.

My hand brushed against his and we paused again. Why was it lately my skin prickled whenever we touched? It was like having a feather dragged teasingly across flesh whenever this happened. In want to feel the sensation again my hand hesitantly covered his, which still gripped the spear. My fingers tracing the worn leather of his gloves before touching the skin on his exposed fingers. I could sense his eyes upon me, flickering from my face to my hand and back again. My face began to heat up as a blush blemished my cheeks.

"Edie." He said softly, a hint of disapproval in his tone. I lifted my head to look up at him.

"What's happening to us?" I asked, taken back by how small my voice had become. It sounded like that of a frightened child.

"I know not yet it troubles me." He admitted.

"Me too." I removed my hand from his and took grip of my weapon. He dropped his hand to his sides. "Maybe we should stop this."

"Training?"

"Being alone together."

"If it is what you wish for." Again, he tone was guarded as if merely speaking the words.

"That's just it, I don't." I shrugged with a sigh. "I still need to learn how to fight but how can we continue when this happens?" I gestured to the space in-between us.

Silence ensued, both of us equally thinking over the strange situation we had gotten muddle up in. I couldn't really explain just what was happening but one thing was certain I didn't like it one bit.

"Perhaps we should cease your training for the time being."

"Yeah, besides Ashe will need you more than ever now and I can always stick to my magicks in battle."

"Then it is settled, though not final, I will see to it you can fight well. I owe you that much."

* * *

The next day I felt much better, I had had a good night's rest and was ready to face whatever the day was willing to dish out. We hiked across the plain in our usual tireless march. The three teenagers and I were at the front of the group walking at a comfortable pace (this slow and steady tempo had now replaced stopping to take breaks during the day). I walked along listening to the three of them chatter. Light-hearted banter, jokes and even some playful teasing passed between them.

"Maybe we should wait for the others to catch-up, we don't want to get lost." Penelo suggested.

"Nah, we're near the edge of the Golmore Jungle, see that over there?" He pointed to the mouth of the jungle, a walkway shrouded with thick vines and trees. "That's where we need to be. From there we pass through the jungle and into the Paramina Rift where Mount. Bur-Omisace is."

"Wow, I'm impressed, Vaan!" I guess it wasn't just Larsa who was well informed.

"I gotta good feeling." Penelo and I glanced over to Larsa, fully aware he would be knowledgeable of the root to our destination.

"This is the way." He confirmed.

"Told ya. You gotta know about locations and stuff if you want to be a sky-pirate."

"So you came up with that all by yourself?" Penelo's tone was suspicious. I too smelt a rat. Vaan was never interested in which direction we were going before.

"Yeah, it's pretty basic navigation skills." He crossed his arms over his chest, smug that he for once knew something the others didn't.

"So that had nothing to do with you bugging Basch and Balthier this morning when they were planning the course we were going to take?" I couldn't resist in shaming him. I had noticed him pestering the two when they had been consulting the map.

"No." He snapped, though fully aware he'd been caught out.

"Now that sounds more believable." Penelo snorted.

"Though he didn't map the root himself he did well to remember it. A good memory is just as valuable to a sky-pirate." Larsa praised.

"Right." He agreed, thankful someone had his back.

"Don't encourage him. He only needs a good memory to keep up with all the fibs he tells!"

"I'm not that bad!" Vaan insisted.

"I gotta good feeling." Penelo imitated his cocky tone.

A small burst of laughter bubbled from Larsa's lips at her impression.

"Larsa, please, this is serious."

"Oh I-I'm sorry." He had misread Vaan's good-humoured tone.

"Don't be Larsa, someone's go to put him in his place." Penelo ensured.

"Yeah, usually it's Penelo. He really should be used to it by now" I smirked.

We waited for the others to join us before venturing into the thick wood. Here, the air was heavy and moist, carrying only the scent of vegetation and dirt. Very little natural light strained through the jungle's dense canopy and so there were many lanterns dotted around on lampposts to help travellers find their way. Strange chirps of bird call would ring out through the air, they chorused with other noises made by the unseen wildlife that dwelled here. We walked on along the walkways that were veined with creeping vines. It was hard to hike in the humid atmosphere and it wasn't long before the light material of my dress clung to my back. It probably didn't help that I was weighed down with supplies as well as the medic bag. I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead, it glistened with damp. This place sure was gross.

Ashe finally caved in an allowed us a brief rest. Sat on a thick fallen tree trunk and passing a water flask between us, the teenagers and I still managed to keep in high-spirits. As I was gathering my hair up into a tight braid a noise from behind caused me to turn and peer over my shoulder. The rustling of foliage grew louder as who-knows-what drew nearer. I quickly secured my hair into place and picked up my spear, slowly rising to standing.

"Edie?" Vaan broke from jibing Penelo when he noticed my movements.

"There's something there." I mumbled my eyes not leaving the thick flora. It lurched forward in a startling attack.

"What the hell is that?" I yelped jumping back.

The youths also quickly put distance between the monster and themselves, weapons drawn. It was hideous plant-like creature with mottled green-grey skin and writhing tentacles. Its mouth was like that of a venus flytrap, full of sharp teeth and snapping madly.

"A Malboro. Be wary of its bite." Fran informed, plucking an arrow from her quiver.

We unleashed our usual onslaught. It seemed to do well to withstand it. As Penelo was about to cast another fire magick upon it, it quickly whipped round and spat a glob of mucus at her face. Blinded by the gunk, she staggered back all the while frantically wiping at her face.

"Penelo!"

"Ah! it burns!" She hollered.

I quickly abandoned my position and ran over to her. She had stumbled and fallen to her knees, her hands continued to rub at her eyes. I grasped the water flask and uncapped it with nimble fingers. I splashed her face with the water hoping it would rid it of the substance. It seemed to work and I continued to douse her until all traces of the vile stuff were removed.

" Any better?"

"I- I can't see!" She whimpered.

I delved a hand into the medic bag and groped around for a certain bottle. Once in hand, I hurriedly unscrewed the cap which had a pipette before squeezing it to suck up some of the bottle's liquid.

"Here. Hold still, I'm going to give you some eye drops." I told her, my free hand pushing away her hands that were clasped over her eyes.

The skin around the eyes was red and blotchy but worst of all were her eyes that had a cloudy film over them, like that of a cataract. I quickly applied the drops, allowing a few drops in each eye. Penelo blinked a few times.

"How's that?" I pestered.

"I still can't see!" The fright in her voice sent my pulse up a few paces. I administered another dose of the eye drops. By this time the others had defeated the menace.

"Penelo? What's wrong?" Vaan knelt at her side.

"She's blind. That thing spat something at her and it got in her eyes." I explained, turning to look over my shoulder at the others. Fran paced forward and also folded to her knees. She gently tilted the young girl's head up so she could get a better look at the extent of her injuries. "The eye drops aren't working." I told her.

"It was an elder Malboro their toxins are harder to treat with Hume-made potions."

"So she's gonna be blind?" Vaan snapped up to his feet, clearly upset.

Penelo began to sob. I shot Vaan an angry glare, his little outburst was only making matters worse. Fran turned from examining Penelo's face to me.

"Edie, the notebook."

"Of course!" I pulled it from the medic bag and untied the twine that bound the pages together.

"There ought be a cure." She rose, her way of indicating I was on my own on this one.

I quickly flicked through the brittle pages until I found what I was searching for. The list of ingredients were fairly simple, most of which came from the Malboro itself. I glanced up at Vaan who was nervously pacing, his hands in his hair.

"Vaan, go get me these things. It says here you should be able to find them in the Jungle." I pointed at each needed item, some of which were illustrated with Fran's detailed sketches.

"Right!" He nodded. He quickly bent down so he could speak with his friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Penelo, it'll be over before you know it. I'll be back soon."

"I'll accompany you." Larsa volunteered. The two boys quickly left.

"It seems we will be here some time. I suggest we put an end to travelling for today and make camp." Balthier said to Ashe. Although I could tell she was displeased by such a suggestion she eventually saw that he was right.

With the others setting up camp and Penelo resting on a bed roll I approached the corpse of the elder Malboro. It still bared its plentiful supply of teeth in a menacing grin. I dropped to my knees, the notebook in one hand, Penelo's dagger in the other. My eyes flickered from the beast to the book. I had to remove certain parts of it as these were key components in the cure. The first was simple enough, a tentacle. I gripped the scaly limb with nervous fingers before hacking at it with the dagger. It eventually came away seeping foul smelling goo where it had been severed. Next was an eye. I manoeuvred the tip of the dagger at an angle near the eye socket hoping it would pop out. After few curses and pauses to wipe the slime from my hands I finally freed the eyeball from its socket. The last was by far the worse. I took a long moment to look over the anatomical drawing Fran had done of a Malboro, showing the workings of its insides. I need to locate and cut out the poison sack, which dwelled at the back of the creature's throat. It would require in me having to cut open the Malboro's throat in order to get at it. I took a breath before carefully using the dagger to draw a line in its thick flesh. I repeated this motion, each time the dagger cutting through a layer of tissue, fat or muscle. Finally the throat was open and I delved around attempting to find the poison sack. My fingers groped at a balloon-like liquid filled mass. I struggled a bit at getting both hands into the throat one to secure the sack, the other to cut it away. After much squirming and swearing I finally plucked it from the Malboro's throat. I recoiled, holding it at arm's length my nose turned away in disgust. It smelt horrendous, like rotten vegetables.

Once Vaan and Larsa had returned with the needed ingredients I sat in front of the camp fire once more scrutinizing the potion's method before eventually beginning. The pieces I had gotten from the Malboro had to be cooked and ground into a pulp before adding the other elements and a good slug of water before bringing it to the boil. The whole thing took a good couple of hours to perform. Once it was completed the potion was a thick, dark concoction that had to be administered like eye drops. I used the pipette to suck up a good measure of the stuff before going to Penelo's bed side.

"Okay, here we go. This might sting a little." I warned bowing over her.

Despite clearly being scared she was good enough to remain still while I applied the medicine. Vaan was knelt on the opposite side of her bed roll, her hand in his. The dark drops fell from the pipette into her cloudy eyes. She blinked hard a few times before I gave her some more. With the dose done she closed her eyes once more.

"How long will it take for it to work?" Vaan's hand squeezed Penelo's.

"It says here a few hours. She needs a dose every hour until her vision is back to normal." I informed packing away the things I had used to brew the medicine.

I could feel nerves biting at the fringes of my mind. I prayed I had done it right, that it would work. Vaan remained at her side whilst I walked over to the camp fire in search of a water flask. I was incredibly thirsty after my efforts at potion brewing. I stooped down and scooped up a water flask surprised to find it heavy due to being full.

"There is a stream over yonder, just through those trees." Larsa must have noticed my puzzled expression. I took a swig from the flask.

"You should take advantage of it you smell like a dead Malboro." Balthier wrinkled his nose at me.

I glanced down at myself. My forearms were still sticky with Malboro gore and smudges of it were decorating my knees, dress and face. He did have a point.

After taking my fill of water, I gathered some things before setting off from camp in search of the stream. Larsa had been truthful, it was just the right distance away from camp to make it private but also safe in case anything ambushed me. I tugged off my dress and slipped into the water surprised that it rose to my waist. Luckily its current was lazy allowing me to stand in its depth without any effort. Picking up the hair soap I began to wash, enjoying how cool the water was. A song came from my lips, one of the Dalmascan folk songs, as I attempted to rid my skin of dirt.

* * *

Trudging through the undergrowth, fire wood in his arms, Basch paused. He heard something. It was the not too far away sound of someone singing. Curiosity captured, he moved in the direction of the voice. He paused once more when he was a good enough distance away to clearly hear the song. It came from behind a barrage of thick plant life where the trickling of river flow weaved round the music. The jungle itself seemed still as if also listening. It was an old Dalmascan folk song about a rare beauty. He had recalled Edie singing it when they had spent that night in the gypsy camp. Her voice was pleasing to say the least and she managed to enunciate the archaic tongue well despite not actually being Dalmascan herself. He'd often wondered of her nationality. Her Rozarrian colouring and her Archadian voice often contradicted one another making her all the more of a puzzle.

"She sings well, doesn't she Captain?" A voice startled him. He turned to see slinking through the shrubbery was the sky-pirate. His soon came to a stop, his hands behind his back, his head slightly cocked. "The boy tells me she often sings whilst bathing."

"I knew not. I was merely returning from collecting fire wood." He moved to return back to their camp yet as he passed, Balthier spoke.

"Of course you were. Tell me, Basch, what is occurring between the two of you as of late?" Basch stopped though didn't turn to face him.

"There is no occurrence. I am training her as her Highness did request." He could feel the other man's eyes boring into his back. No doubt that smile was marking his lips, he did enjoy to goad the knight (or anyone else for that matter).

"You know there is no harm in lust, though knowing your kind it no doubt gainsays your knightly vows. If I were you I'd at least entertain the notion before it distracts you of your civic duties."

"I'd wager you've already entertained such a notion." He paced off not wanting to be in the midst of such a conversation.

Balthier watched the older man walk off the smile on his lips blooming a little more. The Captain's retort had been a cheap shot, a clear sign the subject of his celibacy was his sore spot.

* * *

After ridding myself of dirt and Malboro gunk, I dressed and returned back to camp. The others were eating. I joined Vaan who seemed to have not moved from Penelo's side whilst she rested. She was due another dose of eye drops.

"How's she doing?" I asked kneeling at her side, the vial of eye drops in hand.

"She's sleeping well enough." My attention moved from him to Penelo. I gently shook her shoulder to rouse her from sleep. She groaned.

"Penelo, it's time for some more eye drops."

"Okay." She blinked a few times and seemed to squint. "I can see."

"Really?" Vaan quickly shoved his hand in front of her nose "How many fingers am I holding up?" He queried excitedly. I sighed and shoved his hand aside.

"I'm not sure it's still kind of blurry."

"But it's a good sign right? The stuff must be working!"

"Here's hoping." I said whilst carefully administering the drops.

Some of my initial worry was lifted. I must have performed the potion right for it to be work this well. After that, I helped Vaan move Penelo into a tent so she was settled for the night. Due to her condition she was given a night off from standing guard and so Larsa shared a tent with her.

"...So it's agreed, the groups are: Ashe and Vaan, Edie and Basch, and Fran and I. We shall take first watch." Balthier summarized the arrangements he'd drawn up. He seemed to notice my disapproval and said, "Problem, Edie? You know full well you can't be paired with the likes of me. Apparently I'm a bad influence." He said his eyes flickering to Basch the edges of his mouth twitching in fighting back a smirk.

"Actually, I was hoping to be paired with Vaan. His best friend is in a bad way, he may be distracted."

"Touching as your concern is we need you and Vaan on separate shifts so one of you can tend to the girl when the other is on watch."

_Christ, he had an answer for everything!_ I begrudgingly backed down knowing he'd shoot down any other suggestions I made with ease. So much for Basch and me not being alone together. I was sure the sky-pirate had paired us up on purpose. With that settled the group went their separate ways to retire for the night.


	33. Chapter XXXIII

Author's Note:

Hi. I have some more news. Turns out I have to move back to England this week so I thought I'd upload another chapter before the long road trip back home! Also I've been writing another Fanfiction that I've been playing with and was wondering if anyone would be interested in it. It's so totally not original as it involves Basch getting stuck in to Earth and trying to get back with the help of Edie and Kaiser. So if you're interested I will be uploading the first chapter shortly!

Thanks for all your reviews they really make me want to write more, well that and I'm just dying to write the Mount Bur-Omisace scenes I've got planned with Al-Cid and the Gran Kilitias! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXXIII: Just keep following the heartlines on your hand.**

I push out an irritable sigh and rolled onto my back. The hot, sticky jungle air was making it impossible to sleep in the tent. After attempting to snatch at sleep once more and failing, I pulled myself up and glanced over at Basch. He seemed sound asleep. I left the tent. Penelo was due another dose of eye drops. Our make-shift campsite was silent and still. Past the dwindling flicker of the camp fire were the silhouettes of Balthier and Fran as they stood watch. With the vial of eye drops in hand, I ducked into Penelo and Larsa's tent. In the dim I made out the two figures asleep atop their sleeping bags. As quietly as I could I woke her.

"Hey Penelo. Time for some more eye drops." I whispered to her.

"Okay." She mumbled sleepily.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, preparing the dose.

"My eyes no longer sting."

Good, that meant the potion was definitely working. With the soft glow of the dying fire illuminating the tent's confines, I bowed over her and carefully applied the eye drops to each of her injured eyes.

"My shift starts soon so Vaan will give you your next dose."

"Alright. Good night." She sounded exhausted but that was probably due to her body fighting off the poison that was robbing her burnt out eyes of sight.

"'Night. Try and get some sleep." I squeezed her hand before crawling out of the tent and into the muggy night air once more.

I stretched in a half-hearted attempt to rouse my sluggish limbs before searching for a water flask. Taking generous, greedy gulps of the cool water seemed to waken my worn out mind somewhat. As I was securing the cap on the flask, Basch exited our tent. He stooped to snatch up his axe before strolling to the edge of camp where the sky-pirates were. I guess it was our turn to stand watch. I bent to pick up my spear and medic bag before following.

* * *

"How fairs Penelo?" His voice grazed the silence that we had been shrouded in for countless long minutes.

"I think she's improving. Hopefully by tomorrow her sight may return." I absentmindedly twirled the charm that hung from my spear. The striking red fur swirled back and forth in an entrancing dance.

"You do well at potion brewing. Twice others have been cured by your skill."

"All I did was follow Fran's written instructions." I shrugged off his praise.

"It takes more than merely following another's words. This skill, perhaps you learnt it before you lost your memory."

"Maybe." Another shrug. It was highly unlikely seems as there was nothing wrong with my ability to recall my past and the fact I wasn't of this place. "Maybe I'm just a fast learner."

"You are at that." He agreed amiably. Another pause gripped the air, the chorus of the jungle wildlife continued on in an endless feral harmony. "Your memory, do you sort after it?" I wasn't sure which surprised me the most his sudden talkative spurt or the actual question he posed. I proceeded cautiously. I had come too far to be caught out now.

"Of course, it's hard not remembering anything about myself other than the fact I have a dog called Kaiser." I still was pondering just why he had asked such a thing. Then again, if I had had a past like his maybe I wouldn't want to remember such things.

"You truly do not recall anything? Not even your family, your homeland?"

"Nope. None of it. I don't even know where I had come from when I woke in the dessert. Vaan's convinced I'm Rozarrian but I'm not so sure."

Lies upon lies, it was any wonder I had managed to keep such a collection of fakery in order. I could feel the guilt stir in my stomach but I quickly calmed it. What use would it be to confess the truth at this moment in time? If anything it would make matters worse.

"You are an interesting mix of certain ethnicities that much is apparent." He commented, his eyes meandering over my form. I felt a little uneasy under his gaze.

"Really? So what do you think I am?" I turned my head to regard him. After a long moment more of his eyes flitting over my face he spoke.

"Your pallor and dark hair suggests Rozarrian though your accent implies you are of Archadian decent." So I was a mongrel of the two nations at war, if only he knew his speculation was so very far from the truth. "Your build conveys that though you are slight you haven't been shaped by hard graft yet your speech isn't that of an aristocrat. It would seem contradictions are a common ground with you." He mused.

I was a little unnerved that he had even given the subject of my nationality and class such thought. I quickly decided to swerve the conversation away from myself before he noticed any stray ends in my lies.

"What about you? Your accent isn't a Dalmascan one so what does that make you?"

"I hail from a land lost." His head drooped slightly as his eyes fell to look upon the axe held loosely in his hands. I noticed a small section of his hair flop forward.

"Lost?"

"Lost to the war, lost to the Empire. Landis."

The name rang a bell. It was the country he had mention when we had been discussing the war with Vossler atop one of the rusting rigs in the Sandsea. No wonder I had never seen Landis on our map if it had been devoured by the Empire.

"What I don't understand is how you and your brother are on opposite sides of this war."

"I am blameworthy for that." There was a heavy pause as he seemed to be recalling the events that had led to such a peculiar outcome. I remained quiet, sure that if he wished for me to know just why he would speak. "When our war with the Empire was at its peak I did choose to flee. My father had been slain in battle and my mother was bedridden with sickness, I had hoped I would be able to bring back my homeland from the Empire's clutches by training as solider in Rabnastre's royal army. Dalmasca and Landis were allies and I was sure Dalmasca would come to my land's aid. Though during my time in Dalmasca I did learn that Landis had fallen. My brother had thought my want to leave foolish, cowardly. He remained behind saying he would nay abandon neither our mother nor our land. With Landis under the Empire's rule he must have pledge his alliance with them and joined their ranks."

"So that's how he became a Judge. Does that mean what he did to you, that was his revenge?"

"It was my punishment for leaving him so." He distantly stated, his eyes still to his axe.

"But you're his brother- his twin- how could he do something so awful? Even if you should have been punished he had no right to dirty your name like that."

"He merely sort to strip me of all I had wrought in my time away from him."

"Good job he kind of failed." I muttered. True his name had been tarnished but at least the princess trusted him once more. I glanced over at him. "You do know you might have to face him again."

"That I do." Though he had attempted to hide it, I heard the grimness in his voice.

Sympathy simmered in me. He hadn't had an easy time these last couple of years and it seemed things weren't going to get any easier for him anytime soon. Despite his hardships he was determined to do good. I couldn't help but think that not everyone could manage such a feat. Without thinking, my hand reached forward and swept back the stray strands of hair back behind his ear. He stiffened and I realised I had once again unintentionally overstepped the boundary between our friendship and awkward grounds. I quickly withdrew my hand mumbling an apology. My fingers had brushed against that long jagged scar. I had often wondered just how he'd obtained it though I never had dared to ask him, it seemed too personal.

* * *

Morning came and Basch remained laid on his back as the fogginess of sleep slowly seeped from him. The dim light of dawn penetrated the canvas of the tent (or perhaps it was the firelight -Ashe and Vaan must have stoked the fire during their shift) and he allowed his eyes to adjust to it. The air was clammy and thick. It surprised him how he had managed to sleep well enough in the uncomfortable atmosphere. He turned his head to look over at Edie to find she was still asleep. She was sprawled out on top of her bedroll, on her side, facing him. Her hair was pushed back over her shoulders, her face soft and relaxed in slumber. Her chest rose and fell in a tranquil rhythm. As his eyes unhurriedly traced her form he suddenly realised that her nightgown had hitched up on one side revealing her thighs and underwear.

He directed his attention back to the tent's ceiling once more, feeling his heart flutter to a faster tempo. He inwardly griped. It was as if the gods were testing him, gauging his loyalty to his duties and oaths, to his sovereign. He hadn't a clue where this rush of feelings had come from. Sure she was attractive but he hadn't been attracted to her when they had first met, so why now?

The urge to glance at her once more rose in him. He reluctantly allowed his eyes to flit over her again. She was slim, with lean limbs and tight curves. The time spent training and hiking had toned up her legs. His eyes followed the line of her legs until they were upon her hips where the material of her nightgown had bunched, taking the time to pause when they met her underwear. It had been a long time since he had last seen such a garment and though they were of a simple design in black with a delicate lace trim edging them, he found alluring. They were a reminder of the pleasures he had once practiced with the fairer sex. Want niggled at him. The overwhelming urge to touch her swelled in him though his hands remained stubbornly at his sides.

He glanced away from her hips, chiding himself for even thinking of such a thing. It was bad enough it was a recurring theme in his dreams let alone have it plague him while he was wakeful and able to direct his thoughts elsewhere. His eyes fell on her face. Shame seized him hard. How could he think such things about his fellow traveller, his friend? She would undoubtedly be disgusted if she had caught him staring at her or if she knew of his impure thoughts. It would cause that delicate pink blush to decorate her cheeks if she woke to find herself exposed to him in such a way. He wanted to smooth down the material of her nightgown so it masked her hips but he knew his touch might wake her, and then the situation would be even more of a disaster. He noticed her blanket heaped at her feet. She had probably flung it off in her sleep due to the horrid temperature. He recalled she had slept badly, the sound of her tossing and turning and her mumbling (in what he assumed was Rozarrian) he had heard throughout the night. He sat up and took hold of the thin blanket. He carefully draped it over her to conceal her before leaving the tent.

* * *

After the usual ritual of breakfast and coffee we packed up and set off once more. Penelo's sight had recovered, much to my relief. We marched quickly, attempting to make up the time we had lost yesterday. There were no breaks to allow our tired limbs rest instead the water flasks were passed round repeatedly. Towards midday we came across an extraordinary entity in the jungle. Before us was a huge glowing glyph. Its eerie hues of blue and green radiated a soft light and energy rippled through it as if it were water. Ever the curious, Vaan approached it, his jaw slack in awe. Fran paused at his side.

"What is it?"

"The jungle denies us our passage." Fran's eyes didn't stray from the strange magickal barrier.

"What have we done?" Ashe asked.

"We? No." She turned and paced away from our little group. "I."

I peered over my shoulder and watched as she strutted past the others, towards Balthier.

"What's that mean?" Vaan was never one to figure out a mystery without a generous amount of help. From what I had read about the Viera I knew that they lived somewhere in the jungle. I had thought it odd that Fran hadn't mentioned such a thing to us, which gave me the impression that perhaps they parted on sour terms. "How we supposed to get through that?" Fran paid no heed to Vaan's questioning.

"Making an appearance?" Balthier said, keeping pace with her.

"I am."

"C'mon, I'm talkin' over here!" Vaan pestered not happy that his queries weren't being met with answers. He followed them. Our feet also moved as we trailed behind the two sky-pirates.

"I thought you'd left for good." I heard him enquire through Vaan's irritating onslaught of pointless questions.

"Our choices are few." She admitted grimly. They walked along and away from the barrier and descended a short flight of rickety, wooden stairs to a lower walkway.

"Fran? Balthier?" Vaan was quick on their heels his inquisitiveness quickly evaporating into annoyance.

"You'd think he'd take the hint." I snorted watching him huff testily but still shadowing them. Penelo giggled.

"This is as much for you as it is me." Fran said.

"Oh?" Balthier stopped midway in his descent, his puzzled tone caused her to turn and look up at him.

"You are ill at ease. The nethicite troubles you?" She cocked her head slightly as she regarded her partner. He answered her only with an uneasy silence. "You've let your eyes betray your heart." She stated before walking off towards the edge of the walkway.

"Right." Muttered Balthier. It was the first time I had seen him so striped of his usual articulate tongue. He continued to follow her.

Fran stopped near the edge of the walkway. Beyond it stretched a dark chiasm dropping unknown depths. She began to perform an elegant motion with her pointed finger, the tip of it radiating a green glow. She swirled it around and concentrated as she summoned the magick. By this time, Vaan was hovering behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Fran outstretched her hand and lightly clicked her fingers. Once the spell had been cast she turned to him.

"Soon you will learn."

In that moment a brilliant light stretched out from the end of the walkway revealing a path of luscious green grass. As quickly as it came, the light faded leaving behind an almost translucent path. It was a hidden walkway.

"Whoa." Vaan breathed, his eyes wide as he took in the strange passageway.

"We go to seek aid of the Viera who dwell ahead." She finally informed him.

By this time we had all caught up with them. Penelo moved to Vaan's side.

"I'll bet they'll be glad to see you after so long." She smiled.

Fran's fine face remained in its impassive mask though I noted her shoulders stiffened slightly.

"I am unwelcome. An unsought guest in their wood." With that she walked on, her heeled shoes soundless on the barely there grass path. We followed.

The pathway snaked slowly upward, curving around mammoth trees. The hike was hard due to the increasing steepness of the slope but Fran continued on at the head of out group. She was probably apprehensive of being among her own kind once more, though with her there was never a hint or giveaway as to what she was feeling. Finally, we were in the jungle's lush canopy and the sunlight shone through the clouds of leaves in a scattering of shards. The path passed through the trunk of one of the trees. The tree's trunk was so wide and thick that it was almost like passing through a small tunnel.

One the other side, wooden walkways weaved around the trees. There were sophisticatedly crafted and looked as if they were actually a part of the grand trees' structure. The sunlight here had less foliage to shine through and so the sun's warmth and light was welcoming. The Mist moved in a dreamy dance, swirling around the tree branches and glistening on the green leaves like dew. It was beautiful, I couldn't imagine why Fran would leave such a heaven. She stopped at the mouth of the village, which was marked by a majestic, wooden arch.

"In the village ahead you will find her: Mjrn. Bring her to me. She will know why you call her."

"You're not coming?" Vaan asked. Fran merely placed a hand to her cocked hip and narrowed her eyes slightly at the boy before her. He quickly became uncomfortable under her stare. "Um, okay then. Let's go find Mjrn!" He quickly turned on his heel.

We left her at the village's entrance and walked along the wide wooden walkways. The air up here wasn't as humid though there was a haze that hung over the trees. As we passed through the village many Viera paused to observe us. I was getting the feeling that we weren't welcome here.

"Hey, do you know where I can find Mjrn?" Vaan asked a gawping Viera who wore armour similar to Fran's though it was a silver shade. She narrowed her eyes as if offended by Vaan's cheery tone.

"You will find her at the village's heart. Seek her swiftly the Wood does not welcome the likes of your kind." She stated thinly before flicking her ear and turning her back to us.

We continued on and soon came to the centre of the little collection of wooden dwellings. Here there were many Viera who chatted, performed chores or merely sat enjoying the hazy sunlight. Upon us entering the area they all stopped and watched us. The tranquil feel of the air suddenly became laced with threat. I noticed many of the Viera had weapons. Our group stopped before one of the wooden houses. A small number of the Viera drifted forward, their eyes taking in our forms and faces. It was probably the first time they had seen Humes. I was beginning to grow anxious under their stares. Vaan stepped forward.

"Hey, Mjrn lives here doesn't she? We're here to see her." He addressed the group that gathered before us. They answered us in silence, merely continuing to watch us intently. Growing exasperated with the Viera's lack of hospitality Vaan heave a sigh.

"You will leave at once." A heavily accented voice said. I glanced over in its direction to see another Viera exiting the wooden hut. She approached us. She was clearly a leader or elder of some sort that much was apparent from the way she moved with her shoulders back, head held high. As she came nearer I saw a flash of resemblance to Fran across her features. I wondered if she was a relative. Perhaps this was Mjrn. "It is not allowed for Humes to walk on these grounds."

Vaan took a step forward almost as if to prove to her that he could do as he pleased.

"We'll go as soon as we've seen Mjrn." He told her in a tight tone. It was clear he was growing tired of the Viera's unwelcoming attitude.

"If you can find her." The Viera crossed her arms and continued to stare down at him.

"We're not leaving until you let us see her."

"Hmph!" She turned her head away from him in a sharp jerk causing her white hair to flutter around her face. It was as if she was repulsed by his presence and could no longer stand it. She wasn't going to help us.

"Fine then." Vaan turned back to us "We'll look for her ourselves."

As we began to step away the Viera made a noise of interest. The reason for this was marching towards the village centre in confident strides (seriously, Fran wouldn't look at all out of place on a fashion show runway.)

"I have heard the voice of the Wood. She says Mjrn is not in the village. Jote, where has she gone?" She drew near the head Viera. Now that they were together the resemblance between them was blatantly obvious, they were sisters.

"Why do you ask? The Wood tells us where she has gone Or... can you not hear her?" Fran's eyes dropped to the floor. "You cannot. Your ears are dull from hearing their harsh speech, I think. Viera who abandon the Wood are Viera no longer. Mjrn too has left her embrace." There was a hint of sadness in her voice when she spoke the last words, or perhaps it was disappointment.

"And you forsake them in return?" Balthier coolly asked. He too had sensed Fran's upset and was quick to defend her.

"It is the will of the village. Viera must live always with the Wood. So is the Green Word and so is our law."

"We'll let you worry about keeping your laws. Just do us a favour and stay out of our way. We'll find her ourselves." Vaan's tone was still tetchy.

Jote cast her eyes down to the floor and closed them before the Mist around her swirled with more intensity. A breeze whirled around her, picking up fallen leaves and causing them to playfully sail on its currents. She extended her arms and her brow furrowed slightly in concentration as if she were listening to something. I heard nothing, only the breath of the soft wind as it rustled through the foliage. After a moment the gush died down, the leaves lazily fluttering to the ground the once more. Jote slowly lowered her arms.

"Our sister has left the Wood and gone west." She opened her eyes. I noticed a dreamy sheen to them. "She wonders warrens among men who hide themselves in clothes of cold iron. Thus to me the Wood has spoken." With her bit in Mjrn's search completed, she turned to walk away from us and Fran spoke up,

"The Viera may begin life as part of the Wood, but it is not the only end that we may choose."

Jote paused.

"The same words I heard 50 years ago." She continued on and entered the dwelling without a single glance back at her supposedly wayward sibling.

With no reason for us to linger unwanted for any longer, we moved out of the village. Our every step was watched by the eyes of the Viera. Their stares ranged from curious to frightened. At the village's entry, Balthier who was keeping in stride with Fran up at the head of our group, stopped and turn. Fran too halted.

"Not bad, Vaan. Didn't think we'd get any information out of that one." He praised sincerely. I had though he was void of sincerity altogether and was pleasantly surprised when I noticed his words lack a twang of sarcasm. Vaan looked simply ecstatic at the verbal pat on the back his role model gave him. "So then, what was she saying about men in a warren?" He pondered.

"The Henne Magicite Mines- maybe that's what she meant." Offered Larsa. "They lie in Bancour, south of the Ozmone Plains. The entire region is a colony of the Archadian Empire. There would be soldiers."

As usual he knew plenty of facts on our upcoming destination. He seemed very knowledgeable about all these Magicite mines and their prospects that it made me I wondered if it was a part of his curriculum or if he pursued it as a past time. Why would he need to or want to know such information at such a young age? It seemed odd.

"Is that a problem?" The sky-pirate asked nonchalantly. Obviously he wouldn't have cared if the youngster in front of him protested in taking on Archadia's finest footmen. Talk about ego. "Let's go." He turned and set off.

I was about to put my own feet into motion when Vaan's enquiring tone rung out.

"Fran?"

"Yes?" She turned smoothly, he ponytail swishing around her in a graceful curve.

Vaan hesitated.

"I was wondering- what Jote said, you know?" All eyes were on him as it was clear he'd need to elaborate. "About how you said the same thing 50 years ago?"

"Your point?" She cocked her head somewhat.

He brought a pointed finger to his chin and absentmindedly tapped at it as if to indicate his pondering.

"Er.. How old were you again?"

I sucked in a breath, either he was very brave or very stupid- I would have happily put my money on the latter. There was a dark pause as Fran continued to silently gaze at him with narrow eyes. She sharply spun on her heel and stalked off.

"Nice, Vaan!" Balthier muttered in an exasperated tone before quickly pacing off after his miffed partner.

Vaan remain rooted to the spot clueless as to what had just occurred. I half expected him to blink harshly in disbelief as no doubt in his eyes the question posed had been a sensible one. We strolled past him. Ashe scoffed as she passed him, Basch who was at her side, remained silent.

"Surprisingly rude." Larsa commented as he overtook the older boy.

"Try to grow up, please." Penelo pleaded as she strolled along by him.

He still looked utterly confused by everyone's negative reactions. I stopped at his side and decided to put him out of his misery.

"There are some things you should _never_ ask a woman, Vaan. And if you were wondering, _that_ was one of them." I tried to keep the laughter from gracing my voice but failed miserably.

I walked off chuckling, leaving him to catch-up both physically and in train of thought.

* * *

After the long descent back to the heart of the jungle, we set off to wander back through the way we'd come, in the direction of the Ozmone Plains. The walkways were littered with threats and I spent a lot of our travels healing injuries or curing those who had befallen ailments caused by those pesky Malboros.

Towards the end of the day I was shattered. The Mist had robbed me of all my magickal energy due to me constantly having to use curative magicks seems as our potions stock was beginning to run low. There hadn't been a tradesman to barter with since we had left Jahara and the jungle's onslaught was taking toll on our supply. Despite my weak state I plodded on, Ashe wouldn't want to stop for another couple of hours yet.

I sighed and dragged a hand over my forehead, pushing back some strands that had stuck to the slick skin. My head was throbbing dully. Suffering from being drained of magickal energy was much like enduring a hangover. Although I was determined to keep trekking I found myself lagging behind, which wasn't a safe thing to do in my current surroundings. I tugged half-heartedly at the strap of my supply pack in hope to shift it into a more comfortable position. With my attention elsewhere, my slow feet stumbled over a thick, raised vine. I tumbled to the dirty jungle floor. Hearing my fall, Penelo turned to look over her shoulder.

"Edie?" She quickly closed the space between us with nimble footsteps and folded to her knees.

"I'm fine." I brushed off her concern. "Just a little tired is all."

She aided me rise to my feet. My legs suddenly felt very unsteady. Perhaps I didn't just trip.

"You look exhausted. Why don't you take a potion or something?"

"We only have one left." I mumbled. My tongue felt heavy and slow.

"It will do her no good." Fran stated. We both turned to look at her and I noticed my little fall had caused the rest of our group to stop a short distance away. Fran approached us. "An Ether." I guess she probably could tell I had been bled dry of magickal energy due to the Mist flowing around me.

"We don't have any. What about that tea? The one I had to brew when you were ill."

"This be different. Maddened by the Mist was I, you suffer since you did wholly exceed your magickal energy stores." She explained.

"So what do we do?" Penelo asked, a tinge of worry seizing her voice.

"She needs rest."

"We cannot!" Ashe insisted. "There is but a few hours of daylight left, though they may be short we must use this time to proceed further. Fran, we do search for Mjrn, we cannot halt at every hurdle."

"She's right." I shrugged. Poor Ashe, I could tell this little side-quest of locating the missing Viera was costing her valuable time. We did have a war looming over our heads after all. "Besides it's only a couple of more hours. I'm sure I can do it." Despite my words I swayed somewhat in attempt to try and keep myself upright. Penelo's hands steadied me.

"You can barely stand, let alone walk." Balthier said strolling towards me. He stopped a short distance away. I willed myself to stop wobbling though my tired body didn't heed my instructions. "If you insist on being so stubborn, you can prove to us you are actually of able body. Come stand at my side." With the way I was currently feeling he might as well have asked me to journey across the vast stretch of Ivalice. Determined I wasn't going to slow down the princess for the umpteenth time I pushed my shoulders back, held my head high, shrugged off Penelo's hands and hobbled over the small space between us to stand at his side. Once I had finally made it to my goal I fired him a self-satisfied smirk. My delight was short lived as I suddenly felt like my legs were going to give way. Balthier seemed to sense this and snaked an arm around the small of my back to support me. I gripped his shoulder to steady myself. "I thought as much." Now he was the one wearing the arrogant smile.

"I am fine." I spoke each word singly to him to be adamant just how a-okay I was.

"We have not the time for the likes of your bickering!" Ashe hissed. She shapely turned to the knight at her side and with a flick of her hand ordered, "Basch, bear her."

"What a splendid suggestion, Princess!" Balthier was clearly amused by Ashe's creativeness and Basch's attempt to keep the shock from marking his face.

I wanted to elbow the damn sky-pirate in the ribs but I daren't move my hand form clutching his shoulder.

"Majesty, there are still many threats in the jungle. I am needed to cut you a path."

"The jungle's threats are now few and we have many a sword to rid them." She lowered her voice to him and said, "I ask you do this for me so that we can be free of their nonsense and continue on, time is upon us."

"As you wish." He nodded and walked over to us so that he came to stop before me and my leaning post. "How do you sort to be carried?" He asked me.

I quickly thought about it. There was not a chance in hell he was going to carry me slung over his shoulder like I was sack of potatoes, or gather me up in his arms like I was his bride or some damsel in distress.

"On your back." I insisted, quickly remembering my manners I added, "Please."

He gave a nod, turned his back to me and knelt on one knee. With Balthier's help I went to over him. I was more than sure the sky-pirate's assistance was merely so he could enjoy our joint discomfort up close. He swiftly disrobed me of my bags and spear, handing the medic bag to Penelo and bearing the others before once again steadying me. I bent slightly to stable myself and gripped Basch's shoulders with both hands. "Okay." I mumbled, a sign I was ready to be lifted.

He slowly and smoothly rose from his stooped position, carefully seizing my legs with each of his hands as he did so. Once I was swept up and held against his broad back we set off once more.

I had to admit I was thankful I didn't have to endure more hiking and foe slaying. I hoped the knight didn't mind too much that I was stopping him from performing his duties to his princess. He remained silent as we journeyed on and I decided not to pester him by talking to him. With nothing really to concern myself with the full force of my weakness gripped me hard. I felt so drained. Many a time I attempted to keep my mind from seeking sleep though the pull of my fatigue proved too hard to fight and I slumped further against Basch's back.

* * *

Basch felt her sag against him. Her arms limply slung around his neck and he could feel her cheek resting against his shoulder. Being drained of magickal energy wasn't a common occurrence in battle, usually it were only those who weren't watchful enough of their own capacity often paid the price of this exhaustion. He knew full well that Edie wasn't a novice when it came to her magickal abilities and pondered just how this had occurred. The rest of their group hadn't noticed just how little of curative supplies the medic pack now held. Perhaps she hadn't voiced this in order not to worry them and merely made up with it with her spells. She was the only member of the group who knew a wide range of these types of magicks due to her position as medic. No doubt she had felt herself becoming weaker but also didn't wish to make this apparent due to the fact that they only had to continue on for a short time more. It would seem her usual determination had been the cause of her downfall this time.

He plodded on pondering about this seems as it distracted him from the feel of her body being pressed up against his back. After a short while he had to pause to hitch her up his back once more so that she wouldn't fall. His grip of the back of her knees shifted slightly upwards, which caused the material of her dress to slip back a fraction. His hands now had a firm hold of the tops of her bare thighs. He kept his features stony straight, attempting not to notice how smooth her skin felt under his fingers. The women of the group did keep shaving razors amongst their wash things. He guessed Edie must have groomed herself the night before, when she had been bathing in the stream. He quickly shut off his train of though and focused on the road ahead.

Ashe finally agreed to stop and make camp a full three hours after dark. They had travelled a good distance and by tomorrow the green plains would be a short trek away. Penelo quickly rolled out a sleeping bag and helped him lay Edie down on it. She was still deep in sleep and probably wouldn't wake until morning.

Once the chores of setting up camp had been completed, Basch added another cut of wood to the fire. Penelo, who'd been constructing the tents, approached him as he was dusting off his hands.

"Would you help me move her into the tent?"

He agreed and rose from his stooped position. She was stretched out on the sleeping bag, lying on her side as she usually did. He carefully swept her up and held her against him before moving the short distance to the small row of tents. Penelo pulled aside the tent's door and he ducked into its confines. The sleeping bag was already laid out and he lowered her onto its fur-lined length. As he went to move away from her he noted that her hair was masking part of her face. His fingers lightly swept the section back. They grazed her cheek as he did so. A sudden urge to brush his lips against the soft skin surged in him and he hesitated for a moment. He was knelt close to her all he would have to do was bow down and press his lips to her cheek. He blinked as if wiping the thought from his mind. No, he wouldn't be so underhand to steal kisses from sleeping women, besides Penelo was probably still at the tent's entrance. He quelled the disappointment that rose in him by tenderly tracing her cheek once more before exiting the tent.

Whilst he sat eating his evening meal, his attention to the cheerful chatter of his fellow travellers seeped away as he thought over the action he had nearly allowed himself to do. It was worrying. For many long years he had bared his celibacy well and had little regrets about his upholding his oaths so rigidly. So why was it lately he was even entertaining the notion of being with a woman? The other worrying matter was the woman in question was someone he was travelling with. She was his friend, his student, her being his lover was simply out of the question. Now wasn't the time for such a relationship to blossom, there was a war lurking and his sovereign needed not only his sword arm but his devotion. He wouldn't allow Ashe to endure her daunting task solely.

* * *

I woke to find myself in one of the tents. It was hard to tell whether it was day or night thanks to gloomy jungle. I glanced to my side to find the other bedroll unoccupied. The sound of morning chatter curled in through the canvas. I stretched and clambered out of the tent. I was feeling much better thanks to my lengthy rest though my body was still a little sluggish.

"You're finally awake!" Penelo greeted cheerfully, handing me a bowl brimming with porridge. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." I accepted my breakfast with a thankful nod.

"Well Fran says it will be best for us to share medic duties so it doesn't happen again." I knew by 'us' she was implying her and myself seems as Penelo was the only one who knew nearly as much curative spells as I do.

As we were packing up, Larsa hovered at my side.

"Edie, a word if I may."

"Sure. What's up?" I paused in rolling the tent's canvas to peer up at him. He was stood straight with his hands behind his back. No doubt he'd also been schooled in keeping good posture.

"I did share a tent with you last night. I know you're struggling to remember anything about your past but I did notice you were speaking Rozarrian in your sleep." I tried to act surprised to this news though it only made me uneasy that the astute Larsa was knowledgeable that I could speak a different language, a language he could speak well himself.

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows in shock. "Well, what was I saying?"

"I do believe you were dreaming of someone, a loved one perhaps, you were calling out to them and asking them not to leave you." I had a pretty good idea who that had been. Jorge.

"Oh." I sounded thoughtful as if attempting to recall the dream.

"If you like I could converse with you in Rozarrian, perhaps it will jog your memory."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, Larsa." I praised though dread gripped me hard. I knew full well I would have no problem understanding anything that came from his mouth and acting confused was going to be a challenge.

"Perfecto! Pues mi voy a ayudarte con la tienda de campaña. (_Perfect! Well, I'll help you with the tent_)" He said bowing down to help me roll up the tent canvas. I noticed Balthier had placed his attention upon us seems as Larsa was now speaking to me only in Spanish. He knew full well I could speak the language and curiosity had once more swelled within him.

"Porque estás hablando en Rozarrian a Edie, Larsa? A la mejor ella no ti entiendes. (_Why are you speaking to Edie in Rozarrian, Larsa? Maybe she won't understand you._)" He cocked an eyebrow at the young boy before him.

"Es que a noche ella fue hablando Rozarrian en sus sueños, mi he pensado hablando en este idioma va a ayudarla recuperar de su memoria.(_It's just that last night she was speaking Rozarrian in her sleep, I though speaking in this language would help her regain her memory._)" Larsa answered earnestly.

"Entiendes algo, Edie? (_Do you understand anything, Edie?_)" Balthier asked me.

I kept the blank look gripped on my face and hoped I was convincing.

"What?" I blinked.

"Nevermind, mayhap you'll remember in time." Balthier smirked. I wanted so badly to punch him.

We reached the Ozmone Plains by midday and I was thankful to be breathing in the fresh, dry air rather than the humid smog that chocked the jungle. As we headed in the direction of the mines we came across two soldiers who were taking shelter in the shade of a craggy mountain, with them stood two large chocobos. As we neared them I noticed one of them looked in a bad way. He was unconscious. When the other soldier saw us he quickly stood up and spoke.

"Please travellers do you have a potion you can spare, my friend is in a bad way."

I looked him over. The armour he wore indicated that they were Archadians. We only had one potion left so I hesitated and glanced over at Ashe. Would she being willing to help the enemy?

"We have but one left. What's the worth of your friend's life?" Balthier asked. No surprise he was yet again after compensation.

"Balthier!" Ashe gasped angrily, taken aback by his malice. She turned to the soldiers, her eyes quickly scanning the injured one. "Though it be our last one you are in more need of it than ourselves."

She turned to look at me and gave a nod. I delved my hand into the medic kit and plucked out the potion before stepping forward and handing it to the man in armour.

"Thank you. My friend's life is saved. We are in your debt sirs. We fled here from the Hennes Mines. We were attacked you see...It was all we could do to make it this far. We'll rest here until my friend's wounds have had a chance to heal. If you like, we could lend you the use of our chocobos until then. There's a lot of terrain around here that can't be accessed without a chocobo."

"We will be in need of one to reach the mines, will we not?" Larsa asked him.

"Yes, travelling to them on foot can be treacherous and lengthy. You are going to the mines? I bade that you reconsider, there is a terrible menace in that place."

Oh great, of course there was some lurking threat ready to rip us to shreds the moment we step foot in the mines! Why was it we could never catch a break?

"Danger or no we must venture there." Larsa told him.

So the soldier happily gave us his chocobos and once again prayed that we faired safely.

Ashe gracefully mounted the chocobo with ease and even sat neatly on it side-saddle style. Basch took the hold of the leather reins and led the bird on. The second chocobo was weighted down with the likes of the three children. Luckily it was well built and bared them with no difficulty. The rest of us decided to travel on foot the rest of the way.

The soldier had been truthful when he had mentioned the track to the mines wasn't an easy walk. It snaked off up a steep slope in a narrow track that weaved in between snags of rock. We halted at its foot.

"Looks like we'll have to take it in turns to ride these chocobos up there." Penelo suggested, tugging on the reins to stop her bird.

"We shall travel two to a bird. The road looks harsh and we don't want to tire the chocobos." Ashe agreed.

Fran hopped on with her and Vaan got shoved off his chocobo. They left us to wait for one of the riders to return to ferry us up the mount. It took well over an hour before Penelo and Ashe returned. She picked up Vaan and Balthier opted to go before the knight. I felt sorry for Ashe having to put up with the likes of him on the long trek back. So as it seemed to be a growing premise that Basch and I were kept being shoved together I decided not to be bothered by his company. I rose from perching on a rock and stretched my stiff limbs.

"How are you fairing, Edie?" He glanced up from sharpening the blade of his axe. He often made good use of wasted time by attending to the weapons or consulting the map unlike me who would merely sit and daydream of returning home.

"Good, thanks." I smiled. I still felt a little lethargic but it was nothing I couldn't deal with.

"Why did you not voice your feeling weak?"

"I really didn't feel that bad and then suddenly I could barely walk." I shrugged.

"Summoning the Mist too often can be bad for the body. You should have told us that supplies were wearing thin. It could have ended badly." He said seriously. Wait a minute, is he telling me off?

"Are you telling me off, Basch?" I attempted to keep the amusement from marking my face. He clearly caught it and frowned, lowering his axe to his lap. "You're not my mentor anymore you know." I said reminded him light-heartedly.

"Though that may be I am still a friend."

The smile that I'd been fighting back graced my lips. It was nice to know he saw me as a friend.

"Okay then, it won't happen again. I promise." I vowed.

Seemingly pleased by this, he returned his concentration back to amending his weapon.

When the two chocobos came back I noticed Vaan had now replaced Penelo. No doubt Vaan had been itching to ride the bird solo, after all anything Penelo could do Vaan tries to do better but ends up failing miserably.

"Vaan are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked mounting the chocobo.

"Of course!" He insisted.

I suddenly felt nervous. I glanced across at Ashe and Basch. I wonder if either of them was willing to trade places. Vaan cracked the reins and sharply kicked his heels into the chocobo's flanks and the bird squawked loudly before racing off at a stupendously fast pace. I clung onto his little metallic waistcoat that so hard I thought I'd rip it from his back.

"Vaan! Slow down!" I yelped. My butt left the saddle when the great bird leapt over a fallen tree.

"I dunno how to!" He shouted back over the whip of the wind.

I suddenly felt fear grip me hard.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Seriously, I only know how to ride one of these things, not stop them!"

_Oh crap!_ I was going to kill Penelo for letting him go through with this. Luckily, Ashe seemed to have sensed that all wasn't right with our steed. She tore past us handling her chocobo with skill. No doubt the she had been schooled from an early age on a pure breds. She yanked hard on her reins and stopped her chocobo before our own, sideways on. Not wanting to collide with its kin our bird hastily jerked to a stop, inches from crashing into the other chocobo. The harsh stop caused me to slam into Vaan's back, nearly toppling him from his seat.

"Phew, that was close, huh?" He grinned nervously, a hand scratching the back of his head. Before I could even stop myself, my hand quickly darted out and clipped him around the head. "Hey!"

"Serves you right! You could have killed us!" I growled.

He turned to scowl at me and an equally sour look gripped my own face. Our impending argument was cut short by Ashe's words.

"You cannot handle that bird, Vaan, step down. Basch, trade places with him." She ordered.

Vaan grumbled something in displeasure under his breath and slid down from the bird. Basch quickly took his place and we set off again. Finally able to relax atop the chocobo, I happily watched the scenery of the plains drift by as we travelled at a steadier pace.


	34. Chapter XXXIV

Author's Note

Well this is embarrassing, isn't it? I haven't updated in ages!

I do have an excuse. I had to move back to England due to my mum's treatment, which meant finding a job and living with my family once again! I haven't lived with them for at least five years and as many of you may know, when living with your family there is very little personal space. I normally write in nice quiet surroundings where I can daydream and take my time and that quite frankly went to hell when I moved back in with my family!

28/12/12 Update

Alyde gave me a very awesome Christmas present- fanart of Edie! I love it so much I'm using it for the cover. If you want to check out the full version, there's link on my profile page!

Disclaimer:

I don not own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC

* * *

**Chapter XXXIV: Hold me close 'cause I'm a Hopeless Wanderer**

The trek took over an hour and after long, the steep climb evened out. I was able to see the others awaiting our arrival on a small dirt track that meandered around the jagged form of a large rock. Basch slowed the bird to a stop and I carefully swung my leg round and dismounted the chocobo well enough. Penelo approached us and quickly realised Vaan was ridding passenger with the princess.

"What did he do now?" Her tone was bordering exasperation. She was probably tired of Vaan showing them up with his offensive questions and do-it-all manner.

"He was unable to handle his steed." Ashe informed as she secured her bird's reins around a thick, low hanging tree branch.

"Yeah, whoever taught him how to ride skipped the lesson on how to apply the brakes." I muttered, glaring at the subject of our discussion.

I doubted very much that Penelo had taught him.

"Reks was the one that taught him. He helped school the both of us." She explained.

"Then how come you're such different riders?"

"Blame not the teacher but the pupil." Balthier too was regarding Vaan. "Words of wisdom wrought nothing in the minds of the indifferent or distracted."

Vaan, who was still sore from being denounced as an incompetent rider, was growing angrier the more our discussion continued on. His friend sensed this and decided to quickly relocate our attention elsewhere by brightly chirping,

"The mine's entrance should be just around the corner. Shall we?"

Ashe didn't need asking twice. She retrieved her sword from the chocobo's saddle bag and strode off taking the lead as always. We followed with brisk steps to keep up with her. Once we rambled round the jagged rock, the mouth of the mines swung into view.

It was like the entrance of a cave, a gaping black hole in the countryside that's darkness cloaked its confines with an eerie air. The ominous atmosphere was only accentuated further by the collection of corpses that lay sprawled across its doorway. Armour glinted dully in the cheery sunlight of the plains, splotches of rusty red were splashed on shields and swords, and those who hadn't sported protective gear had uniforms that were just as stained and slashed. The Archadian soldiers we had come across had proven to be the fortunate ones who had escaped with their lives. It also meant that perhaps we should heed their words of warning more closely.

"Researchers from the Draklor Laboratory. What were they doing here?" Larsa had approached the scattering of bodies, his eyes carefully scanning the uniform worn by those who didn't have armour on.

I wondered if this was the first time he had experienced death so up close, he was after all only about twelve so there was a first time for everything (hell, the first time I had seen a dead body wasn't so long ago when I had been in the Nalbina dungeons). Then again, being a brother to someone as blood hungry as Vayne Solidor perhaps this sight was a common occurrence. Either way, I watched him look upon the pile of bodies with an open curiosity.

"Research." Balthier answered simply, judging by his tone and expression he was clearly mulling this one over.

With neither of them offering further speculation into the strange matter we moved onwards and entered the mines.

Like with the Lhusu Mines it wasn't the nicest place to be. The chill of the cool air caused goosebumps to quickly prickle my skin. The Mist here was fast paced and rapidly flowing further into the mine's bowels. I wasn't keen on this new development, the last time I had seen the Mist act in such a way we had been searching the depths of Raithwall's tomb. I decided not to voice my worry and merely plodded on, rubbing my arms in a futile attempt to soothe the raised skin.

The narrow tunnel that led from the mine's entrance to the main transport shafts soon stretched out into a great chamber. Large stone arches supported the looming rock overhead and an iron track to transport the land's goods cut along the rough rock that was the cavern's floor. Hanging from the large stalagmites and the stone eaves that ribbed the roof were the chattering forms of bats. Occasionally a cloud of them would swoop from their perches and swiftly swarm by as if reminding us that this dark, dank land was no place for the likes of light lovers. Glancing about the place I noticed that the mine's walls were pebbled with familiar looking jewels, though their luminance wasn't as strong as those that we had witnessed in Bhujerba. Larsa too had his eyes uplifted to the high walls and its craggy ceiling.

"Look at the magicite. These Mines much resemble the ones in Lhusu. Of course. Draklore must be searching for new sources of ore. Should the resistance move, the rich veins of magicite in Bhujerba will forever be without of their reach." He mused.

"Right and what's war without the fire power?" I mumbled still looking at the towering ceiling.

The Empire had right to worry about their magicite stores, after all they were already a fleet down thanks to the Dawn Shard. The needed to quickly recuperate their losses with more arsenal to remain a threat. Larsa turned in my direction to no doubt to object but he was instantly distracted. Hearing his gasp my head snapped round to see what had snagged his attention so. It was another Archadian guard sprawled out dead on the stone floor. As we made our way towards the unlucky warrior, Fran suddenly halted.

"Is it her? What is this Mist?" My eyes followed hers and saw that lurking beyond the fallen soldier were snaking, thick tendrils of Mist. My heart quickened. It was fast flowing and completely colourless like the Mist that had driven Fran into a rage aboard the Leviathan. This wasn't good. A figure stumbled from out of one of the adjoining tunnels and walked dreamily amongst the smog-like Mist. "Mjrn!"

I squinted to get a better look at the Viera, it was hard to see her was that shrouded in Mist. One thing was obvious she was moving strangely, as if not by her own accord. Her movements were dazed, sluggish, many a time she stumbled in her steps.

"The stench of Humes. The stench of power." She said softly to no one in particular.

It was as if she wasn't even aware of our presence, as if the Mist was clouding her judgement and locking her into a trance.

"What's wrong with her?"

Ashe's concerned voice seemed to break the wandering Viera's spell. Her head snapped round, her crimson eyes glinting darkly. She pointed a long nailed finger at the princess in a jerky flick of her arm and harshly shrieked,

"Stay away! Power-needy Hume!"

Ashe gasped though I doubt it was at the insult fired at her, it was at the voice in which it had been delivered in. There was an underlying voice to it, as if two people were speaking at once and it was filled with such venom, such hatred. The rage that smouldered in her stare was familiar- it was the crazed bloodlust that had claimed Fran. My hand fumbled for the pole of my spear, perhaps this was the deadly entity the Archadian soldiers had warned us about.

Mjrn hurriedly lurched off, dashing back the way she came. As we pursued her I noticed how the thick Mist quickly trailed along with her, whirling about her stumbling legs and flaying hands. Though she moved awkwardly she was still hard to keep up with. Whilst we tore down the mine's shaft to god knows where, our footsteps echoed in a quick paced patter of leather and heels on rock. The tunnel gave way to a large mining chamber that had a wooden walkway snaking its path up the magicite speckled walls. Mjrn kept up in her hasty haphazard flee from us, whilst we all slammed to a sudden halt. The confused Viera staggered around a mammoth, grey beast that would have put a dragon to shame as if merely side stepping a passerby and continued out of the area unscathed. The creature whipped round, its lengthy tail lashing out at some of the wooden beams that were supporting the walkway. Wood and rock crashed to the chamber floor in an upheaval of dust. The fallen beams snapped like brittle bones under its gigantic claws as it closed some distance between us and it. I think it was safe to say this was the more likely reason that so many guards and laboratory researchers had lost their lives.

"A Wrym. Well, this ought be interesting." Balthier snapped out his pistol in one fluid flick of his hand and took aim.

"Yeah well, sorry if I don't share your enthusiasm." I grumbled yanking my spear off my back.

Balthier fired his shot. The bullet pinged loudly off the Wrym's huge halo-like ring that encircled its thick neck. The rest of our group were already in their typical formation, swords slashing and spells assaulting the threat.

"Care to make a wager?" He took aim again.

"You seriously want to bet at a time like this?" My voice was pitched high in disbelief.

I was so distracted by his nonchalance to the mighty menace before us that I found it hard to concentrate on my magick casting.

"Just merely trying to live life in full. First one to break one of its rings doesn't have to stand watch for a week."

"Deal!" Vaan hollered as he charged past us, his sword held high as he was sweeping back for another slash at the beast's muscular leg.

I noticed he was aiming for the smaller metallic ring that was wound around its limb. I almost scoffed at how surreal the notion of making bets was in the throes of battle. The others were too busy fighting off the foe to acknowledge the little challenged the sky-pirate posed.

"So, what say you?" He fired another shot before whacking the pistol's barrel open and fishing out the empty cartages with dexterous fingers.

The maddened monster surged forwards towards us in the backline. I hastily flung a fire spell at it in an attempt to slow its assault.

"Fine! Just shoot the damn thing!" I yelled back to him over the enraged roar that rumbled from the foes great jaws.

I was growing irritated with his dallying around, I just wanted to kill the thing, find Mjrn and get out of this death trap.

"Gladly." With a flick of the wrist he snapped the barrel shut and took aim once more before firing.

It was an excellent trick shot that took out the smaller metal ring that decorated its tail. The monster's thick, powerful limb abruptly fell limp and useless. It suddenly struck me that the rings weren't just to add a fearsome air to the already immensely powerful monster, they were actually the true source of its strength.

"No fair!" I heard Vaan whine. "Double or nothing?" He questioned Balthier after dodging a swipe.

"Very well, for the prize the master ring must be broken." Balthier sighed before taking another shot.

"On it!" Vaan grinned and scrambled up what was left of the rotting walkways with a surprising amount of speed and grace.

He hurtled along the makeshift path jumping over gaping holes caused by cracked planks or missing beams. He skidded to a stop at the most opportune point and back up a few short paces. _He wasn't really going to be dumb enough to try that, was he?_ It seemed he was indeed _that_ dumb (though for Vaan there was a fine line between bravery and stupidity). He performed an impressive running leap and landed unsteadily on the Wrym's broad back. He used his sword as leverage and rooted it into the beast's back and clung on whilst it attempted to buck him off.

"Vaan!" Cried Penelo.

She quickly rattled off a protection spell upon her friend just in case the Wrym managed to throw him off. One thing was certain if the fall didn't kill him the foe's fangs surely would. Whilst Vaan was attempting to hold on for dear life and hack at the metallic halo, I resumed in raining down black magicks on our enemy. Suddenly there was a sharp yelp as Vaan had been flung from the Wrym. He landed with a loud thwack and skidded along the stony floor until he finally stopped in an awkward jumble of limbs.

"I better go heal him."

"Probably best, I doubt a dead thief will be of much use to us." Balthier shrugged.

I was about to scold him for being so compassionless to his fallen comrade yet Vaan's scheme to win the bet hadn't been a very good one. I took off running, my feet pounding the rock hard not pausing until I reached him. I quickly squatted down to assess the damage his impact upon the ground had caused. He was out cold. I summoned the Mist and cast a healing spell. My concentration to the magick and healing the boy before me didn't wane even as the Wrym stomped its way over to us in earth rattling steps.

"Vaan?" I shook him. He remained unconscious and unmoving. The Wrym's looming form cast a shadow even in the dim lights, a shadow that was slowly swallowing up the floor near us. I unclasped the medic bag and found a vial of Phoenix Down with fumbling fingers, praying that the others would keep the beast at bay for a few moments more. Cradling his head, I poured the ruby red liquid past his lips. Our forms were engulfed by the Wrym's shadow. "Vaan?" I shook him again, this time harder. "Come on, wake the hell up!" The Wrym's deafening war cry drowned out my words.

"Wha?" He murmured, coming round. His eyes unexpectedly widened so much I half expected them to pop out of his head. "Edie!"

I suddenly felt the heart-stopping whoosh of a giant, gnarled claw sweeping down to flatten us. I threw my arms over my head in a feeble attempt to shield myself from the blow, a protection spell flashing in my mind. The next few seconds seeped by surreally slow. The blow never came. I blinked and peeked past my raised arms to see the reason why. Towering over us, spear clashing against claw was my Gigas.

Belias flung the Wrym's offending claw back and away from us as if swatting at a gnat. This threw his opponent somewhat off balance and the Wrym staggered back.

"Thanks!" I grinned up at him. It was handy having him as an ally.

_Our bond breaks upon death. I had not wished to be freed before the royal bloodline is victorious._ He answered in that deep rumble of his.

Enraged that we had one more in our ranks, the Wrym charged forward at this newer, stronger opponent. Belias met him eagerly and crashed against the creature, his spear warding off tooth and claw. He artfully swiped at the ring that encircled its right hind-leg with his free clawed hand. The metal shattered as if it were glass. The leg fell useless and the Wrym faltered due to not being able to distribute its own weight well. Though it crashed to the ground it still managed to block Belias' assault with its remaining limbs and leathery wings. It recovered swiftly and sprang at the Gigas, slashing at him with those huge, black claws. It even managed to land a hit, raking long gashes along his foe's arm.

Belias snarled in annoyance and lashed out with his spear once more, this time striking the ring that was decorating the beast's dominate forearm. The rest of us still kept up our onslaught, attacking the Wrym whenever an opportunity presented itself so that we didn't hinder Belias by getting in harm's way. I weaved spells on him that boosted his speed and strength and quickly healed any injury he gained.

With the Wrym weakened, Belias seized the halo that wrapped around its neck and began to wrench it so that it would snap. In a flash of panic the Wrym's attacks became all the more fierce and frenzied. Its jaws seized Belias by the arm and clamped down like a vice. The Gigas roared in pain yet continued to pull the ring apart. It began to give just as the Wrym's teeth were attempting to strip its foe's muscle from the bone. With a loud crack, the halo broke in two and the Wrym's jaw fell open before its carcass slumped to the cave's floor. Its body abruptly shattered into many tiny light particles that lazily drifted about the air until their glow dissolved in the habitual gloom on the mines.

With the monster defeated, I turned to regard Belias. One of his human-like hands was clutching at the limb the Wrym had savaged. It was in quite a mess. Torn flesh revealed shredded muscle. Blood decorated the gore and ran freely down the length of his arm before raining down upon the dusty ground. I cast a cure spell upon the battered arm before looking up at him.

"Thank you. We would have struggled without your help."

A master needs not to thank her servant. Was all he said before he too faded away. I turned back and approached our group, who we sheathing swords and packing away ammo.

"Guess that makes me the winner of the bet." I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled in triumph.

"Hardly. 'Twas the Gigas who slew the Wrym." Balthier objected.

"Me and him are kind of the same person now, so I win."

"A victory by default is not a victory decent of this wager."

"Talk about being sore loser."

"I am nothing but gracious in defeat, though defeated I was not by the likes of you."

"No, you were just defeated by my minion."

_Do not speak poorly of me after I aided you so, girl._ Hissed Belias in a warning tone from a corner of my mind.

I was about to apologise to him when the clack of footsteps came from the other side of the chamber. Fran turned sharply, her ponytail whipping round with her movement. Mjrn slowly stumbled her way into view. Her movements were sluggish and her face seemed drained. She held something in her hand, an eerie blue glow was radiating from her loosely clenched fist. The luminance was strangely familiar. Fran darted forwards to meet her sister, yet as she neared, the object slipped from the young Viera's grasp and went clattering along the floor. Though the impact with the ground shouldn't have destroyed it, the rock rolled to a stop before breaking into thousands of shards. At that moment a looming apparition materialized as if the spell was broken and it was abandoning its host. The ghostly figure caused Fran to snap to a stop. It quickly vanished again and with it went the strange colourless Mist.

Mjrn swayed on the spot as if in effort at keeping herself upright. With the thing haunting her gone there was little strength left in her and she crumbled to the floor. Fran continued and made her way toward her sister, she swiftly folded to her knees at her side.

"That thing inside her, what was it?" Vaan stepped forward, his eyes lingering where the entity in question had appeared.

It seems I wasn't the only one who had noticed the sinister spectre. I watched as the Viera swept up her sister, supporting her back. Mjrn stirred from the contact. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Is it you?" Her voice was quiet as if the effort of the simple task of speaking was taxing.

Fran dipped her head in a nod. Mjrn let out a sigh of relief and promptly fainted.

"Rest she needs." Fran turned her head to look over at Ashe.

"And rest we shall." Balthier stretched lazily before strolling over to where some of the splintered wooden beams had fallen. "There be wood enough for a fire. Captain, make use of that axe of yours and hack up some kindle."

Basch hesitated, glancing over at Ashe as if seeking for her permission to do so. She let out a sullen sigh and unbuckled her sword belt before sinking down to sit on a nearby rock.

As the others set up camp, I hovered by Fran's side. She had rolled out a bedroll and laid Mjrn on it. She was currently sorting through the meagre contents of the medic bag.

"Does she need some of that tea?"

"We have not all the ingredients."

My eyes flitted over the bits and bobs we did have left over from when I had brewed the first batch. We were missing bat's fangs and mugrat root.

"I bet we could easily get the stuff we need. There's plenty of bats down here and I'm sure we could find some mugrat root on the plains."

"You would sought them?"

"Sure, though I might need help with the bat slaying."

"Take with you Balthier. His aim is strong and he knows of what a mugrat plant looks like."

* * *

Why is it when you're searching for something it suddenly seems like the thing you seek is actually hiding? Earlier, the mine was plagued by vicious bats but now the tunnels and shafts were free of their high-pitched ruckus. I plodded onwards attempting to ignore my present company.

"No mi ha contestado, Edie. (_You didn't answer me, Edie_)" He said when he grew bored of waiting for me to answer the question I had left hanging in stretching silence.

"Deje me en paz." (_Leave me alone_) I was grumbled, tired of his goading.

He had quickly become uninterested in our appointed quest and had decided it would be much more fun to grill me about my murky past, in Spanish.

"Solo mi quiero sabre si tu memoria ya ha vuelto." (_I just want to know if your memory has returned_)

"No, no has vuelto. No mi acuerdo nada." (_No, it hasn't returned_) I replied flatly, quickening my pace so that I walked a few steps ahead of him, hoping that would put an end to this unwanted banter.

"Pero es un poco extraño que tu puedes hablar Rozarrian, no?" (But it's a little strange you can speak Rozarrian, no?

I casually spun round and continued walking backwards just so I could relish the look on his face when I flipped the conversation round.

"It's even stranger that a sky-pirate can speak Rozarrian. Most commoners can't even read or write and yet you can chatter away in a whole other language."

"Travel is an essential element of sky-piracy, I was bound to pick up a foreign tongue or two on the way." He stated with a shrug.

"Mentiroso." (_Liar_) I snorted. "You're just hassling me because you think I'm hiding something."

"Which you are."

"And you're annoyed you can't figure it out." I paused in front of him and he in turn stopped in his tracks. "You might not be able to suss me but I've got you all figured out."

"Oh really? Pray tell, what be my great secret then?" He cocked his head slightly as if in anticipation for my reply.

"That you're just some bored, little, rich Archadian brat who decided to piss off mummy and daddy by playing at sky-pirate." His eyes narrowed at my words yet he effortlessly recovered with a quirk of his lips and shaking his head slightly.

"You know nothing." He stated in a light, almost teasing tone. He sauntered past me and continued on. I was quick on his heels.

"Explains a whole lot though, doesn't it? Why a lowly pirate would be so knowledgeable and well-read, know how to handle a pistol with such flare and know everything there is to know about the Empire. I bet your parents were nobles- members of the court- and you didn't want to follow in their footsteps so instead you run away and be the very thing you've daydreamed about since a boy, a pirate. You and Vaan are just the same the only difference is your class!" I ranted all the while trotting at his elbow.

He stopped again and turned to face me, that smart-ass smile still in place.

"If that indeed was the truth of it, I would be lying to save my reputation. But what of you? My supposed great secret must pale considerably against whatever it is that you're hiding. I'd dread to imagine what those dear friends of yours would think if they did ever find out whom you truly are."

"I'm not hiding anything!" My growl of infuriation rattled down the tunnel we were hiking along.

"Then why not mention you spoke another tongue? Fran tells me you see things that only her kind witness, how is that so? Why is it you have the look of a Rozarrian yet the parlance of an Archadian? Why is it you're so gung-ho on finding that missing mutt of yours? And just how is it you can manipulate magicks so with that cuff on?" With each question posed he moved closer to me. He bowed his head somewhat so that our faces were level so that I could fully appreciate his calculating stare. In the dim his eyes were more of a black colour than their usual brown shade. "Just who are you?" He asked slowly so the question had weight behind it.

I didn't flinch from his interrogation. Instead I continued to stare him down while I answered,

"I'm Edie Navidson."

"That is not an answer enough for all those niggling little questions surrounding your past and you're true identity. Lies are hard to keep in-line- you will learn that soon enough."

I opened my mouth to retort but my mind struggled to serve up anything that was fitting. Satisfied he had once again bested me in one of our verbal sparring matches, he straightened. I wanted so badly to wipe that smile off his face with a swift swipe of the back of my hand but before my hand could so much as twitch, the distant yet distinctive sound of bats squeaking distracted me. Balthier turned to peer down the tunnel.

"It would seem the hunt is upon us." He withdrew his trusty pistol and strode off towards the call of bat song.

Fran had been right about Balthier's aim as shortly afterwards I had a string of bat corpses in my possession. With the first item of our treasure hunt secure, we made our way out of the Hennes Mines and once more into the pleasant glow of the afternoon sunshine that was gracing the plains. Our borrowed steeds were where we left them. They were passing time by pecking at the ground and grooming their bright yellow plumage. Balthier untied the reins of one chocobo and gracefully mounted it. He glanced over to where I was stood, beside the remaining bird. He quirked an eyebrow at my hesitation.

"Erm. I don't really know how to ride solo." I mumbled knowing no doubt a quip would be offered for my lack of skill.

"My, you are full of surprises, aren't you?" He chuckled. "Come. It shall be quicker if we travel on the same bird anyhow."

I scrambled up and sat behind him. He kicked heels into the chocobo's flanks and we set off. As expected, he was a confident rider and handled the bird well. No doubt he had been schooled as a child. I, on the other hand, was still struggling with some of the basics of riding passenger. The jolt and bounce of the chocobo's steps were sometimes hard to anticipate, especially on the uneven terrain we faced when making our way back down to the plains. I often slammed into his back or fumbled to hold onto him to keep me falling from our steed. I hadn't minded so much about my lack of skill when riding with the likes of Basch and Penelo as both were accommodating enough and didn't seem bothered by my squirming. Balthier, however, cared not if I found the ride easy. By the time we had reached the flat lands of the Ozmore plains I felt as if my tailbone was bruised.

We dismounted and searched for mugrat plants near a trickling stream as they tended to favoured soil that was heavy with moisture. It didn't take long to find a plant that looked big enough to have thick, usable roots.

"Hop to it then." Balthier gestured at the mugrat plant with a sweep of his hand.

"Why do_ I_ have to dig?"

"For _I_ slayed the bats."

"Yeah right, you just don't want to get your hands dirty." I muttered as I began to claw at the grass and dirt the plant was anchored in.

After much hacking at the ground with my hands and experimental tugs at the plant to see if it would loosen yet, I brushed a few offending stray strands of hair from my face with the back of my hand. My hands were black with soil. I probably had smudges of the stuff on my face too. Balthier was clean and unblemished. I had half a mind to wipe my hands on his pristine shirt sleeves as revenge.

I yanked at the plant once more. It felt as if it might come away from the ground with a harsher pull. I repositioned my hands and with a firm grip, pulled hard. The plant didn't budge. Admitting defeat with a huff, I saw my efforts must have been a source of entertainment for the sky-pirate. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his head slightly cocked and a lopsided grin decorating his lips.

"A little help here, please?" I hissed seizing the plant once more.

"Asking for my assistance would be akin to admitting defeat. I bid you brave on, you don't wish to be defeated by something as measly as a mere plant."

"I don't bloody care I was beaten by a plant just come here and help me pull!" I barked.

"Seems as you asked so sweetly, I shall." He tittered before taking hold of the mugrat plant.

"On three. One. Two. Three!"

With our combined strength it was easy to pluck the plant from the soil, a little too effortless. We tumbled to the grass, the plant still in our clutches and landed in a muddled pile of mugrat leaves and limbs. I clambered hastily to get up and off him. He sat up as I was untwining myself from him, causing our faces to once more be level. There was a glimmer of mischief in his gaze.

"Oh drat." He drawled, that lazy smirk marking his features. "We seemed to be tangled in a compromising position." I froze. "Now I too will have to endure charged, awkward silences whenever we are too close or are alone together." He taunted. My face drew into a withering glower at his words and I continued to get off him and to my feet. Unfazed by my sour stare, he merely extended his hand and said, "I will need help to find my feet, the fall knocked the breath out of me. You're heavier than you look, waif."

Despite being gripped by irritation, I complied and bent to grasp his outstretched hand. At the last second I seized his white shirt sleeve and hauled him to his feet. His smirk quickly faltered when he realised there was a great, muddy smudge decorating the once clean garment. I beamed in victory and waltzed off to wash the dirt off my hands in the stream.

Back once more in the chilly mining chamber, I handed over the items to Fran and watched with interest as she prepared the potion without once consulting her notebook. I also finally managed to get a good look at Mrjn. The younger Viera was still unconscious, stretched out upon the fur-lined bedroll. Her hair was far shorter than Jote's and shorter still than Fran's though it was the same striking white shade. Her face was delicately sculpted, with soft features and fuller lips.

"Why do you think she ran away?" I asked, my eyes grazing over the elaborate design of Mrjn's headdress that encircled her rabbit-like ears.

"I know not." Was all Fran faired to comment.

I opted to keep quiet for the remainder of the potion crafting, favouring to watch Fran's every expert move.

With help from the tea, Mrjn regained her strength quickly, much swifter than Fran had, which caused me to wonder if the Mist indeed had been the same I had witnessed upon the Leviathan.

"Care to tell as to why you abandoned sanctuary?" Balthier queried once Fran had deemed her well enough to move.

Though Mrjn was on her feet she favoured to perch herself on a scattering of wooden beams that had once been a stooped platform of some kind, suggesting that though she was well she was still probably tired from the whole ordeal.

"When the Hume soldiers came to the Wood, the village took small heed of them. So long as the Wood herself is safe, the Viera give little care to goings on beyond her. But in me an uneasiness stirred. I had to discover why they had come." Mrjn's voice emitted the words in that pleasant accent that her kind owned. Though her tone was worried -grim even- it was still girlish, backing up my belief that she was the youngest of the three sisters.

"So you came here hoping to find something out, and got yourself caught." The sky-pirate paced forward a few steps. "You're as foolhardy as your sister." How was it that with that tone of his he could make an insult seem like a complement?

"They took me then, and set close beside me a stone. They said its Mist would be drawn into me, that the Viera well suited this end. I saw the light coming from the stone, and then-" She turned to her sister.

"We have seen this." Fran nodded. "On Leviathan, the Mist from the Dawn Shard drove me, too, into such a rage. She was taken not by the Dawn Shard." Her eyes swept over to look at Ashe and Larsa.

"Manufacted Nethicite." Larsa answered. Of course, that strange glowing stone Mjrn had held had been nothing more than a lump of nethicite. But that still didn't answer as to why some strange entity had managed to possess her. "That means-" He turned to his newly found friend, "Penelo, the stone I gave you, do you still carry it with you?"

"Sure, it's right here." She plucked the nethicite from the pouch hanging from her jumpsuit. It was quickly snatched from her fingers by Larsa's gloved hands.

He held it tightly in his grasp, the blue luminance casting an unearthly glow on his boyish features.

"This is a thing more dangerous again than I ever could have imagined. I should never have given it to you." His eyes dropped in guilt and he slowly lowered his hands. "Forgive me. I did not know."

"I'd always thought of it as a good luck charm." She smiled, wanting to make amends to the honest mistake he was reeling over. "And even if it is dangerous, on the Leviathan it kept us safe." Her words seemed to work as his eyes lifted to once more to look at her.

"There is a place for all things, even danger such as this." Ashe state grimly. It would seem she still wished to wield this deadly danger against her foes.

"I hope you're right about that." Vaan added.

* * *

With Mjrn well once more and the mystery as to why she left the Wood out in the open, we began the long slog back to the Viera's village. I was relieved to leave the Hennes mines for good this time, and even though dusk was claiming the skies the open air and earthy scenery was far more comforting than the claustrophobic caverns of the mines. I also was glad to see that I wasn't the only one who was a novice when it came to riding a chocobo. Mrjn had never ridden before. The Viera claimed that the birds were Hume steeds, necessary to their kind due to their short, weak legs and little stamina. I watched as she set off on the bird, her long arms tightly encircling her sister to keep herself from falling.

Once more on the flats of the plains we returned to the mouth of the Golmore Jungle to return the chocobos back to their owners. As we neared them I noticed they had a small but fiercely crackling fire burning. The soldier that had been badly wounded seemed a great deal better, as he was no longer lifelessly slumped against a rock.

"You have returned safely, the gods smile upon you." Greeted the soldier I had handed our last potion to this morning.

Mjrn's ears snapped forward much like Fran's did when she sensed a threat. She nimbly backed up a few paces, a hiss curling from lips that were pulled back to bare her teeth. Alarmed by the aggressive display, the two soldiers hurriedly drew their longswords.

"Mjrn? What's wrong?" Penelo asked trying to quickly defuse the tension that bristled in the air.

The young Viera's eyes flitted from the two Archadians to the group who had all turned to regard her. Though none of us had whipped out our weapons, hands hovered nervously at sword pummels, fingers loosely wound round poles and pistol grips. She slowly straightened into a more habitual stance, though I could tell she rested her weight lightly on her feet in case she needed to suddenly fight or flee.

"They are the ones that did take me." She said lowly. Ashe turned to address the two in question.

"Is this true?"

"Aye. We took her, though we were merely following orders and she came willingly."

"And was it you that gave her the nethicite?" Larsa asked them.

"Our orders were only to fetch her. The Draklore lot did the rest." The injured soldier answered with a shrug.

"If they did cause her harm, we ask for forgiveness. Our regiment was there to play escort and guard the likes of the researchers, nothing more." Apologised his comrade.

"You have aided us so. We wish not to fight you, good folk." The injured man returned his sword to his belt in emphasis, his friend followed suit. Mjrn relaxed once more.

"Very well then." Ashe stepped forward, leading the chocobos towards their make-shift camp, a rein in each hand "Your mounts."

The injured soldier bowed his head in thanks, accepting the reins and stepping off to hobble the birds. His companion gestured to the flickering campfire.

"You have travelled long, please, join us."

"We thank you, yet rest we cannot." The Princess replied before any of us could so much take a step towards the fire's warmth.

"We must return this one back to her kinfolks before they brand her a deserter and expel her from their lands." Balthier explained, probably feeling that Ashe's answered had been a tad blunt.

"Ah yes. Their kind's laws are most queer." The injured Archadian nodded.

"As are your laws to us." Mrjn retorted.

"We bid you fair safely in your travels." The other solider said in hope to smooth over the slight offense his fellow had unintentionally caused.

"The same to you. Fair well." Ashe returned with a nod.

We set off once more, entering the sweltering damp heat of the Golmore jungle. We walked throughout the night (though under the jungle's impenetrable canopy it was eternally dim so nightfall wasn't missed by its strange inhabitants). Mjrn was a curious kind, she asked many questions about Hume life and the world beyond the lands she knew, to which Vaan, Penelo and Larsa happily enlightened her. One aspect that she was most inquisitive about was coupling.

"Your genders mix freely?" She seemed to struggle to phantom this certain fact.

"Sure. Every city, land and home is shared by men and women alike. We live together, eat together, sing and dance together. We often wed when we come of age and settle down to bear children and start families of our own." Penelo elaborated as she strolled along beside our party's newest member.

"Wed." Mjrn spoke the word slowly, hinting it was new to her, "What is this wed?"

"Well, when one is wed it is a ceremony to bond two Humes of different sex before the gods. They vow to remain together for the rest of their days and to love and cherish one another."

"Wait, you mean your kind don't even mix?" Vaan scratched the back of his head. Come to think of it the Viera at the village Fran and Mrjn hailed from had all been female.

"Femme Viera and Homme Viera nay live together, for harmony and spirit of the Green Word is enough for us."

"If they don't live in your village, where do the male Viera live?" Penelo asked.

"Along the jungle's edge in a village of their own."

"The how do you…?" Vaan trailed off causing Mrjn to turn her head to gaze at him, waiting for him to find his tongue once more and finish posing his question. "…You know?"

"I do not understand this question." She blinked.

"If you guys live in separate villages, how do you manage to have babies?" He asked after an awkward pause.

"Oh!" Mrjn nodded to show she finally grasped his meaning.

Though I suppose it was a good question, I wasn't sure asking it to Mrjn in our present company was a wise move. I noticed Fran's ear twitch. She promptly paused in her steps and turn to face the little dawdling group of youths before her sibling could answer.

"That tongue you should still." She warned the boy before her.

Vaan cringed under her stare. He bowed his head in apology, a nervous laugh bubbling from his throat.

"Some things are best left to be a mystery, Vaan." Balthier chimed over his shoulder as his partner returned to walking and fell in step with him once more. I attempted to mask my laughter with a cough, though my amusement didn't go amiss.

"What? I was just wonderin'!" He huffed quietly as not to further offend Fran.

By the time we reached the Viera's village a new day was slowly passing by. An upward glance through the tall treetop's foliage at the sun's position suggested noon was nearing. The Viera were quick to notice our return and word that we had brought the missing Mrjn back with us reached the elder's burrow before we did. Jote stood at the mouth of the wide wooden walkway that led to her dwelling, flanked by two servant Viera. The group paused.

"Best this is left to them." Balthier said as he watched the two sisters continue on towards the village's leader. The young thief at his side fidgeted.

"No way! We helped find Mrjn that means they owe us. Compensation, right?" Vaan stalked off and followed, Balthier seemed too amused to bother stopping him though wandered after him, probably to ensure he didn't cause us any more bother. The rest of us remained where we stood. I strained my ears to listen to their distant conversation.

Oddly, there was no joyous reunion, only the same frigid welcome that Jote had given us before.

"I heard the Wood's whispers." She motioned with an elegant cue of her hand at one of her servants. The Viera stepped forward, something clutched in her grip. She passed Fran and Mrjn and stopped in front of Vaan. "Take it. Lente's Tear is a permission. Pass through the Wood and leave. To other places go." The servant Viera uncurled her fingers to reveal a sizeable crystal crafted into the shape of a teardrop clasped to the end of a long, silver chain nestled in her palms. Vaan retrieved the jewel from her outstretched hands and retreated back a few paces to where Balthier stood. It was clear that though he was glad they had actually been rewarded for their deed, the words given with it were contradictory of such gratitude caused him some annoyance.

"That cannot be all!" Insisted Mrjn in a strained voice whilst moving to stand before her older sister with quick steps. "I saw it when I left the village! Ivalice is changing! How can the Viera stand by and do nothing at all?"

"Ivalice is for the Humes. The Wood alone is for us." Jote was stubbornly keeping to the teachings of her kind.

"But that is wrong! How can we just hide in the trees when all the world outside is on the move?"

I could understand her frustration. Here was a race that was set in their ways, with ridged rules and laws that no doubt had brought them much peace yet with a war about to take place on their doorstep, even the Green Word wasn't going to be enough to save them. "I too wish to live freely- to leave this Wood!" I half expected Jote to reprimand her yet before the elder Viera could so much as scowl, Fran spoke up.

"Do not do this." Mrjn whirled round, her eyes wide. No doubt she had been expecting Fran to back her choice, not reject it. "You must remain away from the Humes. Stay with the Wood. Live together with the Wood. This is your way."

"But Fran, my sister-" She took a step towards the loved one before her.

"I am no longer of you." Fran shook head, her eyes lowered in shame. "I have discarded Wood and village. I won my freedom. Yet my past has been cut away forever. No longer can my ears hear the Green Word." She once more locked eyes with her sister's "This… solitude, you want, Mrjn?"

Mrjn seemed devastated by her words. The pain in her expression was of a different kind than that that had graced her features when she was speaking of the Viera's ignorance. It was the hurt of having her kin ripped from her. As her mind stumbled over such a notion all she would do was weakly whisper,

"Sister-!"

"No, Mrjn. Only one sister remains to you now." Her eyes flickered past the youngster before her to the older Viera who stood silent and still. "You must forget my existence."

Unlike Fran, Mrjn still had a lot to learn about guarding her emotions. Their kind seemed like such a reserved race, conveying a feeling discreetly and calmly yet here was a young Viera who looked as if she was teetering on the verge of tears. Just like that, she spun and hurriedly fled before the waterworks that had been welling up could spill. A heavy pause claimed the air as Fran watched her go.

"I am sorry to make you do this."Jote approached her.

"She goes against the laws of the Wood. I threw down these laws. It is better I do this. Better I than one who must uphold these laws herself." Though her tone was no longer heavy, I knew she must have been saddened by what she had done. It was a great gesture, saving one sister from disgracing herself and the other from the guilt of enforcing their laws. Though she claimed to no longer be a part of their family, it was clear she still loved them.

Jote turned and dismissed her servants with another graceful motion of her hand.

"Come. Let us leave them be for a moment." Balthier ushered Vaan towards us once more.

* * *

Fran looked at her sister. She recalled the day she too had demanded to leave the embrace of the Wood. Fran had not only sought leave just for a taste of adventure and the outside world, but to protect those who were too stubborn or frightened to abandon the Wood and her Green Word. Though Jote had scolded her for her decision, she knew her sister had found it hard to banish her for her choices. Her coming back had stirred up stale arguments and though she had regretted causing such pain it was worth it to see them again, happy and safe in the Wood. There was a small part of her that yearned to once again be with them, live with them and their ways yet that would never be as Viera can only live under the Wood if it welcomes them and her not being able to hear the Green Word was a clear sign she would forever be a foreigner here.

"I have a request: Listen to the Wood's voice for me. I fear- I fear she hates." She asked Jote.

The older Viera bowed her head in concentration as her bond with the Wood deepened. Fran stood idle and felt nothing. She felt not the joy she had once felt when the breeze whispered around her, or the comforting stroke of the sudden shimmer sunlight on her skin, even the playful dance of the airborne leaves seemed wooden to her. Worst still she heard nothing. Jote slowly outstretched her arms as if embracing the Wood's words and listening to them with eager ears. Once the answer had been spoken to her she lower uplifted hands and opened her eyes, their blissful glaze quickly turned troubled.

"The Wood longs for you. For the child gone from her boughs." She said softly.

Silence ensued as Fran thought over her words. Her eyes fell upon Jote once more, a hint of humour in them as she said,

"A pleasant lie, that." She turned to leave her.

"Be cautious." The warning caused Fran to pause and peer over her shoulder. "The Wood fears the eldest of the Femme Humes that your travel with. She is not as they are. She is not what she seems."

With her attention once more capture she turned to fully face her sister.

"You sense it also?" Jote gave a slow nod of her head. "Do you think her a threat?"

"All of those who were not birthed by the Wood are a threat. It is why you must be wary when traveling here. The Wood is jealous of the Humes who have taken you."

"I am as them now. Am I not?" Fran replied, a slither of a smile gracing her features. "Good-bye, sister."

She walked away from Jote, away from her kin, to re-join the other wayfarers and vagabonds who she now belonged amongst.


	35. Chapter XXXV

Author's Notes

Happy New Year guys! For those of you who are wondering who's responsible for the awesome artwork that's now my front cover for this fanfiction, it's Alyde. This was the Christmas present she mentioned in her review! There's a link on my profile page so you can see the full version seems as the image was cropped shorter when I uploaded it.

To answer Katreda's question, I use Youtube _a lot _when writing in-game conversations. I know some people have commented that it can be tiresome that I stick to the original dialogue all the time but that's why I spam Youtube videos (a big thanks to Youtuber Keith3d for him uploading all those cutscenes!) so I can concentrate on adding more detail by describing the character's mood, movement, tone etc. I love writing my own dialogue for Balthier, which is why I have Edie bicker with him so often, as in my opinion no one can win against his wordplay! It can be hard at times to write the pseudo 'Ye old' English that a lot of them speak in but that's half the fun of it! I can rewrite certain character's dialogue countless numbers of times before I'm happy with it. Vaan is the easiest to write as his speech is a lot like ours.

Okay, I think I've bored you with enough geek speak for this chapter!

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

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**Chapter XXXV: Strangeness and Charm.**

We quickly left the village. We had done our part to help them and in return had got what we needed. With our presence once more unnerving the Viera it was clear staying any longer would mean we had over stayed our welcome. Down back into the sweltering belly of the Golmore Jungle, we retraced our steps until we were once more stood before that strange, glowing entity that blocked our route.

"I got this." Vaan swaggered forward and outstretched a hand. From his clenched fist dangled Lente's tear. We watched and waited. Nothing happened. "Is it broken?" He asked bringing his hand to his face so that the crystal swung lazily before his eyes and inspected it for any visible defaults.

"The Wood is stubborn. Your request must be posed in her tongue." Fran stepped forward and plucked the charm from Vaan's grasp and approached the barrier.

Her eyes closed for a brief moment in concentration and suddenly the clear jewel sparked up with an equally eerie glow. The barrier bent and curled as if it were struggling against the tear's power before finally submitting and vanishing in a vicious flash. Fran returned the trinket back to Vaan who, although was clearly still disappointed he didn't open the great blockade, happily accepted it and pulled the chain over his head to wear it like a necklace.

The path beyond the barrier was just like all the other walkways here: hostile, hard work and so stickily hot. The Wood may be paradise but the jungle was pure hell. Once again the light material of my dress clung to my back like a soggy second skin and I had to tie my hair up in a tight knot to stop it becoming lank with sweat. The heat made battling foes hard and before long I was tired. Just as my limbs were starting to pulse in protest at this constant march through the soupy warmth, the walkway we were trekking along opened up into a large grassy knoll.

A huge rotting, moss coated log that had probably once been one of the towering jungle trees, stretched out upon the green. A scattering of flowers were dotted about the grass offering a sweet fragrance that was a refreshing change from the pungent stink of the jungle's vegetation. The air seemed slightly cooler here, so much so that white butterflies were fluttering from flower to flower with ease. Right now this looked like the best place in all of Ivalice to stop and take a break. I quickly ambled up to Ashe's side.

"Hey, we've been making good time so far. Can we stop to rest a little-"

I didn't get chance to finish my question. I bumped right into Basch's back. Ashe too suddenly stopped. I peeked over their shoulders to see the reason behind this was rumbling to life. The giant log was lifting itself from the ground. Moss, grass and vines ripping away from its carcass as it freed itself from their clutches. A hefty nearby rock suddenly swung up from the ground and great, sharp splints that had once been branches scratched and clawed at the soft earth as the beast lurched up to its full height. All of that seemingly innocent plant life was now bristling with power and bloodlust. The monster's shape was strangely familiar.

"I-Is that a Wyrm?" I stammered once my tongue recalled how to work.

It looked very similar to the great grey Wyrm we had faced in the Henne Mines yet instead of the metallic rings decorating its form was the foliage of the jungle. It looked as if it had been lying in wait for us for centuries and had actually become a part of the scenery.

"It is a test. It guards the road, challenging all who walk upon it!" Fran explained over its ear-ringing roar.

"Then let us show it we are a worthy!" Ashe unsheathed her sword, that unwavering look of determination set about her face.

I followed the others and yanked the bamboo spear from my back. A plan quickly was scheming in my head. Belias had speedily defeated the previous Wyrm and the one before us was fashioned from wood, greenery and rock so it would easily succumb to fire. With my Gigas being birthed from fire it would be another easy victory. I bent my head in focus as I called forth the Mist so that I could summon him. However, the gigantic greenhouse grub of a monster had other plains in mind. With another booming roar, it threw its toadstool covered head back and unleashed one of the most mighty attacks I had ever experience.

The whip of a spore filled wind stung like acid as it lashed at us in a frenzy. Though I had instinctively brought up a shell barrier to protect against magick attacks it did nothing to shield me. When The Wyrm finally stopped spewing spores I swayed and attempted to keep upright by gripping my spear pole hard with all of the remaining strength I could muster. I soon faltered and folded to my knees, breathing hard. I felt the flare of a feverish heat consume me; it impaired my strength, sight and even my voice. I had to cure myself using an esuna spell and quickly.

With failing breath I tried my hardest to concentrate upon the Mist and the magick needed yet as I cast the healing spell it fizzled out at my fingertips. _No!_ I quickly attempted it again and again to no avail.

My body was becoming weaker as the minutes flitted passed, as if the energy was being leeched from my already tired being. The intense heat that was claiming my limbs was soon causing them to sting and become heavy and useless. I slumped further to the grass and soil. Though my body was rendered useless, my mind was still alight with nerves. My eyes hurriedly glanced around to see some of our group had not been inflicted with these woeful symptoms and were battling against the Wrym. I blinked and squinted as my vision blurred and became hazy. I gasped for breath and slumped forward. The cool feel of the damp grass was almost comforting yet despite this, panic flared up in me. My body seemed to be shutting down piece by piece, how long would it be before I was dead?

"Edie!" Penelo's comforting hand felt like a dagger upon my flesh. I squirmed and cried out under her touch. My yelp came out as a dry hiss- it was as if I didn't have a voice anymore. "It's okay, be still."

A soothing coolness suddenly engulfed me and eradicated the horrible ache and heat that plagued my body. It even calmed the needles that prickled my throat, tongue and mouth and whipped away the blurry film that hindered my eyes. I cautiously sat up, testing to see if my body had recovered. She had used the very spell I had attempted to cast.

"What the hell was that?" I croaked. Though my throat had been rid of the barbs that chocked it, my voice was still hoarse.

"A powerful poison spell. It attacks the body, eyes and magick casting abilities." She explained whilst looking me over to check if the magicks had cured me enough.

"How come you weren't affected?"

"This keeps me safe." She lightly tugged at one of the blue feathers that decorated her pigtails. I squinted and noticed a tiny bronze charm dangling from the braid. It was fashioned in the shape of a little rose. "It's a 'rose corsage'. It wards off magicks that rob you of Mist summoning." She explained before quickly casting a cure spell so that my energy was once more restored. "You okay now?"

"I reckon so." I rose to my feet still using my spear as a support crutch just in case. I seemed strong enough.

"You'll survive." She patted me on the shoulder and wheeled off to heal any other that had befallen the same ghastly curse.

I turned to assess our enemy. It was strong yet it's hacking and snapping was soon going to be bested and no doubt it would result in that devastating attack being unleashed once more. It needed to be ended and swiftly. Although I had the mighty Gigas at my beckoning, I hesitated. A part of me was under the impression that perhaps I had been the threat that had caused the Wyrm to unleash its magickal assault. It had sensed I was summoning a superior creature. I had to be cautious.

With spear in hand, I hesitated as I watched my allies attempt to tear down the jumped-up tree trunk that was terrorising us. My mind ticked and ticked. It would probably fall to fire. I couldn't summon Belias until the most opportune moment without it raining that horrible spore storm upon us again. If only the whole group could cast fire magicks at the same time, that would surely singe the Wrym enough to weaken it. Out of our rabble only Penelo, Fran and I knew this spell. My eyes darted about our surroundings- there had to be _something_! They locked onto the soft glow of the lamppost like lanterns that lit the walkways of the shadowy jungle. Their flame had to be burning of something- something flammable!

"Vaan!" I hollered, darting forward towards the moss monster.

"I'm a lil' busy here!" He shouted back, whipping away from the Wrym only to surge back just as swiftly and land a successful blow on its log-like belly.

"Leave it to the others! I need your help!" He swerved out of reach from the flick of the beast's rock-tipped tail and raced back to meet me. "I need your to shimmy up that lamppost and hand me the oil lantern." I pointed behind me to the lamppost that marked the end of the walkway.

He followed my finger before his gaze met my face once more.

"You're kidding, right? We've a Wrym to kill if you haven't noticed."

"Yeah and that thing's made of wood and moss- it's nothing more than kindle! If we splash it with oil and cast fire magicks it'll go up in flames!"

"I think we're gonna need more than oil from just one lantern."

"Fine! Just help me grab some." I tore off, away from our foe and back towards the walkways, him shadowing me. "You take this one, I'll go on ahead." I said as we neared the first lamppost.

The soft thud of my footsteps soon became an audible slap as my feet found the stone of the walkways. The next lamppost wasn't far off. I skidded to a stop and glanced up at the glass enclosed lantern topping it. This shouldn't be too hard, I had seen Vaan scale all sorts of things (both moving and stationary) before. I curled my body and sprang up into a high jump, quickly gripping the cool iron of the post with my hands whilst attempting to do the same with my feet like I had seen the nimble thief done countless times. I faltered and fell. A curse curled from my throat and I tried the manoeuvre again.

This time I managed to hold fast to the iron without any blips. I then started the hard motion of climbing up the post in the ungraceful manner of a monkey (again, like I had seen Vann do). It was much harder than he made it look and quite a few times I slipped down but what seemed like an eternity later I finally reached the cross post where the glass lantern was nestled. I unhinged it from its case and wiggled down the lamppost once more until my feet once more met solid ground.

In the time it had taken me to claim one lantern, Vaan had secured four, all of which carefully dangled from his arms. We ran back, being vigilant not to spill a drop of the precious oil that sloshed inside the glass. The lantern's flames had long flickered out due to our hasty movements. Entering the grassy knoll, we kept up our quick pace.

"Circled round, throw the lanterns as you go!" I yelled as I neared the Wyrm.

I jerked to a stop when the beast was before me. Its attention was upon Ashe, Basch and Larsa, who were all attacking with swift yet powerful whacks of their swords. Baltheir and Fran were flanking it, firing a tireless stream of bullets and arrows. Penelo was flitting back and forth healing and helping any who were maimed by its claws or magicks. I swung the lantern once, twice, to gain momentum before flinging it forward at the Wyrm. The glass shattered upon its dirt encrusted trunk and thick, black oil splattered across the greenery like spilt blood and clung to the dense moss. Vaan had done the same, until all sides of it was decorated with a spatter of black.

"Now!" He yelled, signalling he had completed the task I had given him and it was now or never.

I once again concentrated upon the flow of the Mist and in an attempt to call forth my Gigas.

'_Beilas!' _

He appeared in a flash of heat and fire. The Wyrm sense his sudden summoning and once again attempted the poisonous pollen onslaught.

_'What do you ask of me?'_ He grunted.

"Destroy my foe, use your fire attack!" I said, cowering against the sudden whirling breeze that was laced with deadly spores.

He spun his spear and struck the grass with it, the ground split and cracked under the searing heat. The cracks rapidly snaked forth and surrounded the Wrym like a jagged circle, the earth glowing red underneath. An almighty wave of heat rushed up from the moss, swallowing the Wrym in its blaze. In that instant the plant life that clung to the creature burst aflame as the oil caught light. A horrible wail rung out in the now dry air as the Wrym attempted to finished its pesky attack despite knowing for well it had been beaten.

The air stung as I attempted to take breath, although I was unsure if it were from the heat or the spores. I coughed and brought up an arm to shield me from the bacteria that was plaguing the air and causing my throat to become tight. It was hopeless, the fever was back once more and my eyes watered. The shriek of the Wrym rung out harshly as it fell to the jungle's floor. The spore rain quickly died with it. As its monstrous trunk reverted back to the innocent scenery we had stumbled upon previously, I once again felt my knees give way. I never met the floor as Belias' strong, talon tipped hand effortlessly supported me. His entire hand-span curved around the small of my waist as delicately as if I were made of crystal. I continued to cough and wheeze as I watched the Wyrm miraculously revert back to unmoving stone, moss and wood.

My hazy sight moved from the grassy knoll's centre piece to my comrades who were dotted about it, weapons still drawn. Their attention was no to the jungle's jumble that had once been a fearful Wyrm, but the girl and the Gigas before them. Penelo came forward, I noticed a hesitation in her steps.

"That…attack.." I rasped.

"It's okay. I'll heal you now." Her eyes were uplifted to gaze at the beast before her. It suddenly struck me that the last time Penelo had been face to face with my guardian, he had been a foe.

"He won't hurt you…you know." A smile graced my face despite the weakened state I was once more in.

"You're right. He'd never hurt me for you would never do the same." She smiled warmly before using her magicks to once more rid me of the horrible menace that was plaguing my body and affecting my magick casting abilities.

Guilt swilled within me once more. My lying to her would no doubt hurt her if she ever found out the truth.

Healthy once more, I was able to return to a normal stance and seeing that I no longer was in need of his assistance, Belias swiftly made himself scarce. The dry heat and strength of the clawed hand that had slipped around my waist was once more replaced by the humid jungle heat.

"Thanks, Penelo." I smiled.

I was glad we had decided to share medic duties as I was sure that could have easily ended badly if we had solely been dependant on my healing magicks. We desperately needed to stock up on necessities such as potions and remedies and fast, too long we had been without them and I wasn't keen on keeping like this any longer. There were no traders traveling the hostile jungle and the Viera had wanted little to do with us let alone sell us the things we sort after.

I rattled off a cure spell to replenish the energy that was zapped from me by the poison attack. I glanced once more at the great trunk that had been a deadly Wrym not but a minute ago. It seemed Belias' fiery assault had proved too much for it and it wasn't transforming back into its toothy self anytime soon.

"Would it be allowed if we rested here a while?" Larsa questioned our tireless leader.

"It would seem here shall now be the safest spot in all the jungle to make camp. The Wrym has been sated by battle. It will not rise again for us." Ashe paced toward the towering trunk, slinking her sword back into its scarab.

"Making camp in the jungle will be far wiser than attempting so in the Rift." Basch nodded, axe once more to his belt "We near the end of the jungle's keep, beyond her there's naught but blizzards and ice. It would be wise we make such a journey a swift one."

"You mean to say you wish to travel it in a day. Can it be done?" Larsa turned from Ashe and looked over at the older man.

"At a push, perhaps."

"Fear not, our valiant princess will see to it we make it athwart with much haste." Balthier sank down to perch himself on a rock framed by flowers and toadstools.

Ashe's glare was sharp with annoyance yet it went unnoticed by the sky-pirate who now was focused upon sorting his ammunition.

"And she does so with good cause."Larsa smiled amiably as he approached one of the leather backpacks that had been flung to the floor when the battle had begun. He retrieved from it the poles and tarp used to fashion our tents.

We went about setting up camp, erecting tents, sourcing firewood, hunting the jungle for a meat worth roasting over the campfire and checking our weapons and inventory.

As Penelo was whipping up a meal with what little dried goods we had remaining and turning the slowly cooking carcass of a Panther on a spit above the crackling fire, I sat on the lush grass, finally able to relax. Vaan, who was sat at my side, was poking at the glowing embers that framed the burning cuts of wood with the tip of his sword. The heat caused the metal to glimmer a warm red, as if it were blushing. He huffed a sigh, it was growing clear that he was bored. He enjoyed the more active elements of this journey, sitting sit never came naturally to him.

"The fire will weaken you weapon." Basch was sharpening his axe's blade with the slow and steady strokes of a whetstone. The act caused the steady song of stone against metal to ring out among the jungle's chorus.

"I kinda need a new one anyhow." Vaan shrugged yet heeded his advice and carefully placed the sword to lie at his side. The hiss of the blade's tip searing the grass curled faintly from ground.

"All the more to relish it. We may not reach a tradesman until we reach Mount Bur-Omisace. If it were to break before then, you may find yourself in bother."

Vaan nodded in response before heavily placing his chin in the cup of his hand, his elbow resting on his bent knee.

"I will see to it your blade is sharpened." Basch promised, sensing his disenchantment towards his standard sword.

Vaan lifted his chin once more and turned his head to peer at the knight. The fire cast a warm glow on his youthful features, its orange blaze even caused Vaan's normally silvery shaded hair to be tinged with golden highlights.

"What 'bout your training sessions? You guys not having one today?"

Basch and I both hesitated. Our pact of not being alone together had been working well enough so far.

"He's right. Come to think of it you two have not had a session as of late. Last I recall it was on the plains you had past given her a lesson. Don't want her regressing now, do we Captain?" Balthier was still sat on the squat rock with as much manner of superiority it may have bloody well have been a thrown.

"Matters such as finding Mrjn had proved more important, time was essential. We had agreed to take it up once again when things had steadied once more." Basch justified, his hand still wiping the whetstone along the edge of the axe.

"Such a time as now would be fitting, wouldn't you say so?"

I knew the sky-pirate was interfering but his point had been a valid one. We were no longer rushing to find Mrjn and return her back to the Viera so that we could continue on. The knight mulled the matter over for a brief moment before seeing the same.

"Aye." Basch grunted pausing in his current task.

Seeing that he had failed in dodging Balthier's usual verbal prowess, I swiftly attempted to side-step the matter before we indeed had to have a training session just to keep up the appearance that everything was normal between the two of us.

"I don't think I really need any more training." I dismissed with a flap of my hand. "My magicks and the Gigas is enough."

"Bringing forth your beast will only overthrow your foes but a few times. There are enemies out there that would make quick work of you, Gigas and all."

I attempted to keep the frown of frustration from marking my brow as even though Balthier was sat across the fire pit from me, I was sure he'd spot it in a heartbeat.

"He speaks truth, you must also learn the way of your chosen weapon."

I couldn't believe he was actually agreeing with Balthier. It would seem sense had quickly killed our agreement.

"Fine." I sighed and rose from the mossy ground, brushing stray sprigs of grass from my dress and legs.

I plucked up my spear and paced off away from the fire's warmth and light. He followed. I paused at the very fringes of the fire's luminance. Due to us having used the nearby lampposts' lanterns as make-shift petrol bombs the jungle's gloom seemed to now seep in further into the grove.

"Let me guess, sparring?" I said brightly in hope to make amends for my clear dismissal towards our session.

"I have something else in mind. Your spear." He held out his hand in waiting. I complied and twirled it so I held it horizontally before offering it to him. With it in hand, he paced away a few steps before taking on a stance with his fingers holding it level, loosely. "Observe."

He began move his hands, spinning the spear like one would a baton or flag: To the right, in front, to the left, in front, to the right. He performed it as if it were a reflex, no concentration marking his demeanour. He quickly switched sequence, to the left, in front, to the right, in front, to the left. The pole was almost a blur, the whirl of the air disturbed by it movements seemed to whistle along the length of the bamboo. As he was repeating the now obvious pattern he fluently mixed it up before unexpectedly lunging at me. Thanks to all my evasive lessons I managed to sidestep the blow just in time.

"Suddenness can easily throw an enemy off balance. Attack before you should and it can mean the difference between victory and defeat." He stilled his twirling of the spear and offered it back to me. "Repeat the movements and familiarise yourself with their tempo before we focus on how to use them to throw your enemy off guard."

And thus began the lengthy, unsatisfying exercise of me attempting to artfully whirl my weapon. Countless times I fumbled, failed and cursed.

"Your grip needs to be freer." Basch advised when once again my spear clattered to the ground halfway through the cycle. "Here." Retrieving the spear from the grass he offered it to me yet again. I grumbled in annoyance- surely it couldn't be _that_ hard to twirl a pole- and half-heartedly slapped my hands upon the bamboo. His hands grasped mine, gently repositioning them. "Position your hands closer together." I tried to ignore the feel of their warmth, the sensation of leather and weathered skin against my own. He seemed to notice my hesitation, his attention to my hands suddenly forgotten as his eyes flickered up to meet my own. I averted my gaze, allowing a section of hair flop forward and mask my stare. God this was so frustrating! How was it we couldn't even break whatever was lurking between us, let alone have me learn how to actually use my spear in battle? The soft noise of him clearing his throat disrupted me from my inner grumblings. My eyes jerked up. "Try again." He said amiably before stepping back to give me room once more. I bowed my head in thanks.

It took another hour before I could grasp the seemingly simple sequence, after which I had to then revert the flow and become accustom to swishing my spear in the opposite direction. Once this was finally learnt and done I had to comprehend how to suddenly mix them up.

"Good, and switch." Basch stood a few paces to my side, arms folded against his chest as he observed my movements. A quickly as I could, I swapped my motions so that the spear swung in the other direction. "And switch again." I obeyed but my hands still weren't nimble enough and I felt the pole slip from my grasp. A growl of annoyance accompanied its fall.

"Worry not for these things take time." My mentor ensured.

With spear in hand, I stiffly strutted back a few strides towards the campfire's glow to retrieve a flask of water. I took a hearty swig from it almost as in hope it would wash away my irritation. He watched me all the while.

"Can't we call it a day?" I whined as I was returning to him.

"You have learnt the basics well enough, now comes the more testing trainings. Continue on."

I guess that was a no then. I once more took on the typical stance and quickly sunk back into the familiar rhythm of spinning. When he ordered I do so, I reverted the whirl of my spear. This happened over and over again for another hour or so until he barked,

"Strike!"

My reaction was swift as I shifted my stance and lunged forward, attempting to whack him. Though the blow did hit, he easily blocked it. "Better. Again." I repeated the motions and yet again swiped at him, the force behind my attack stronger. He saw this and evaded my assault. "Again, quicker." I heeded him and once more started the sequence, being sure to alter it here and there to throw him off the pattern. He circled me, a real enemy never truly stayed unmoving. Seeing my chance I sprang forward in a flash and lashed out at him. He once again went to dodge my blow yet I anticipated this and flowed further forward, whipping the spear around so that its blade caught his upper arm. Though he hadn't been expecting my bluff, he managed to move away before the spear's steel made too much of a mark on his flesh. I hadn't actually expected the blow to land so well.

I spun round to face him. A track of blood was weaving its way along his skin. I couldn't believe it- I had actually managed to hit him! If this had been an actual sparring session I wouldn't have ever been able to do such a thing, his sword would have effortlessly warded off my spear. He paid no mind to the wound he had gained.

"Good, you are starting to think and move like a true fighter. You have earned your rest. We will resume this on the morrow."

He honestly seemed pleased by my progress. I on the other hand was far more concerned with the cut streaking his arm.

"Your arm. It's bleeding." I paced towards him so I could get a better look at it.

"The wound is shallow. I think it be safe to say I will live on." His tone was light, probably as to reassure that it was just a scrape.

"I'm still gonna heal it. It may be a little cut but they can still get infected."

I went to concentrate on calling upon the Mist when his hand being placed on my shoulder stirred me.

"You haven't yet rested and your summoning the Gigas will have taken its toll on your magick stores."

"But I feel fine." I insisted lowing my head once more in focus.

"That cactus salve will do well enough." His tenor was still light-hearted as the hand that hovered on my shoulder gently gripped my wrist and tugged me along to the campsite.

The movement destroyed my attention to the healing magicks. I gave in with a huff.

The others had already eaten and were settling for the night. Balthier had by now retired to his tent seems as he had crowned himself the winner of our Wyrm wager due to him being the first to break one of its halos. The first to stand watch was Penelo and Fran. I was appointed second watch with Ashe.

As I began to rummage around in the medic bag for the required items I would need, Basch was plating up the remaining shreds of Panther meat and rice.

"Eat first." He offered me the tin bowl.

My stomach growled in response to the smell that drifted from it. I had been so absorbed by my training that it must have distracted me from the fact that I hadn't eaten since we rested at the mines when waiting for Mjrn to come round. I carefully laid the bits and pieces aside and accepted my share of the food. The Panther meat was surprisingly tender and juicy saying that they looked so lean when stripped of their hide. The grease and juices from the meat had dripped and was drunk up by the rice. It gave the otherwise bland and overused foodstuff (we ate rice with every meal due to it giving a slow release of energy) a zing of flavour. I washed down the sticky mouthfuls with water due to us having run out of wine and that horrid Madhu days ago.

Once my stomach had been appeased with food, I resumed in digging out the other things I would need to sort out the scrape. I bid goodnight to the others as they retired or went to stand guard. Basch had also finished his meal and remained settled on a stubby rock he was using as a temporary seat.

"The cactus salve is mainly for burns and blisters but I guess seems as you're being stubborn and we don't have any blood salve it'll have to do." I sighed kneeling myself at the side of his injured arm and arranging my implements.

"If it troubles you still by daybreak you may cast your magicks then."

I cleansed my hands with a slosh of medic alcohol. It smelt so strong I had to fight back a cough.

"I could cast them now." I grumbled taking a small square of linen and wetting it with a mix of the rubbing alcohol and hot water.

"As you had tired from magick castings before, the effects had been sudden. Overdoing by a single spell could result in the same again."

I ignored his concern as I began to cleanse the now dried blood from his arm. There had been more of it than I thought. I cleaned the smudges that masked how bad the cut actually was. It wasn't deep enough to need stitches and most of the flesh was keeping together yet it was long and not as shallow as I had previous believed. I was unsure how he could manage to sit there while I was scrubbing at the stubborn tar of old blood that framed the cut. It must have stung terribly yet he didn't even flinch. I guess he had gained worse injuries when he had had those countless so-called interrogation sessions with the Empire's minions. I doubt any of them had bothered to have healed the wounds they gave him well enough to ward off infection.

I put the linen aside and unscrewed the pot of salve and began to apply generous amounts with soft finger strokes as not to aggravate the wound further. When I was happy with how much of the thick substance I had slavered on his skin, I went about cutting a length of gauze long enough to cover the cut. As I lightly pressed the material to the salve soaked skin the silence between us caused me to reflect on my tiny triumph. A thought had been niggling at me in that back my mind ever since I had slashed him. Someone as devoted as Basch didn't forget such vital matters as oaths and regulations.

"I don't mean to sound smug but did you actually break one of the rules of combat that you knight's learn by?" I asked, whilst beginning to wrap a length of bandage around his arm. He had also taught these guidelines to me as advice so that I would fare better in battle.

"Which one would that be?" He frowned slightly, unable to place just which rule he had apparently forgotten.

"Never underestimate your foe." I secured the stray end of the bandage by attempting to carefully pinning it in place.

"That purely relates to enemies, which I am certain you will never be to me."

My attention to fastening the pin shifted onto him. My fingers paused in their movements.

"I should hope not!" I smiled. "Are you sure you weren't just giving me that small win so that I would want to continue my training?" I asked in jest.

"Mayhap." He returned in a tone alight with mischief.

My grin grew a little more and I once more returned to fastening the end of bandage.

"There, done." I stuffed the medic supplies once more back into the leather satchel and rose from the grass. Basch remained seated on the squat stone that neighboured the one Balthier had been seated on. "Well, I'm off to bed seems as I have to be up in a few hours to stand watch. "'Night, Basch." I bid as I tugged on the medic bag and moved to turn away and head to my tent.

His grip gently seized my wrist causing me to pause and turn to face him once more, my eyebrows raised slightly in questioning. The firelight complimented his warm complexion and blond hair. It even made that scar slashing across the left-side of his brow less prominent. When I had first met him I had often thought it almost a pity it blemished his fetching features yet I had grown to realise that with such a mark marring him it gave him an air of poise. He was probably the only man I knew who could bare such an imperfection without insecurities as to what it implied about him. I could never imagine a certain well-groomed sky-pirate being as humble in that respect!

"Though 'twas said in quip I would like you to endure on with your training. It is not wise you rely alone on your magick skills. Say you will think on it."

"I will." I promised with a nod.

I had expected him to then release my wrist, yet instead his fingers drifted downwards and lightly held my hand. Their warm, steady touch stirred a small flurry of butterflies in my stomach. He leaned forward and softly brushed his lips against the back of my palm before just as suddenly straightening and uncurling his fingers from my hand. The fluttering of my heartbeat accompanied the quivering in my gut. Somewhat stunned by the chivalrous gesture, I allowed my outstretched hand to remain where it was for a beat or two before quickly dropping it to my side.

"I thought it fitting thanks for your mending me."

Though it had been posed in gratitude rather than a romantic nature, I could feel the start of that pesky blush attempting to make an appearance.

"Don't mention it." I dismissed with a flap of my hand, hoping I didn't come across as flustered as I felt. "Besides, I was the one who injured you in the first place."

"Aye. Hereafter I swear to make it more of a challenge for you to do so again. Sleep well."

"You too." I returned before turning on my heel and walking from the campfire to the tent I was to share with Ashe for the night. I attempted to push away the lingering memory of the feel of his lips against my hand. It mulishly stayed in the front of my thoughts.

* * *

Morning came round too quickly for my liking. It had only seemed like a matter of minutes ago since I returned to my bedroll for the night after having done with my watch shift. Though I was well rested, the familiar ache in my limbs reminded me that yesterday had been an active day. No doubt today was going to be just as bad.

Breakfast was the left over rice from our previous meal and a cup of weak coffee. Vaan whinged about the simply offerings, complaining that he was so fed up of eating rice and that the coffee tasted more like simple hot water. Despite this he still woofed it down. I swilled the dregs of my coffee before knocking it back in one gulp. Though unmindful, he did have a point. Our food resources we were worse off than any of part of our other kit. Penelo estimated we had enough rice left for just one more meal. I guess it was Mount Bur-Omisace or bust.

We packed up camp and left the shelter of the grove to head back once more into the hostile jungle walkways. As we trudged on, I fell in pace alongside Basch, who as always, trailed a respectable few steps behind the young princess who lead our merry band of misfits.

"How's the arm?"

"Well. It no longer pains me."

Despite his claim that the injury was no more a cause for concern, I still carefully peeled off a small section of the bandage and gauze to see that the wound was healing well. Although it looked clean and the flesh healthy, I remained troubled about whether the skin would part again when Basch used his arm in battle. I conveyed this to him and insisted that it would be sensible if I furthered the healing with a spell. It wouldn't do any of us much good if the niggling injury hindered him in battle due to him always being the blunt force of our assault. As I went to cast a cure spell on him, he yet again interrupted my concentration.

"Save your magicks, Edie. We will be in need of them today."

"Fine, but don't blame me if you lose your sword arm." I sighed.

My mild frustration seemed to have amused him as I swear I heard a muted chuckle rumbling from him. Though when my head snapped to the side to look at him, his expression was neutral.

"I will bear the blame happily if such a thing occurs." He nodded.

After trekking on for a good few hours in the sticky heat I suddenly felt something. A whisper of a breeze toying with a few strands of my hair that had managed to escape the clutches of the tight knot it was still weaved in. I paused to be sure it wasn't the jungle's heat playing tricks on my senses. It was soft, barely there but I felt it tickle my skin and toy with the hem of my dress.

"You okay?" Penelo paused at my side, curious as to why I had suddenly stopped.

"Don't you feel that?"

She frowned slightly. I noticed the little, light blue feathers trimming her braids sway slightly in the breeze's dance. She felt it then, her eyes lighting up.

"A breeze! We must be coming towards the end of the jungle!"

"Scents of snow and ice." Fran mused as she had her nose held high against the draft.

"Finally! Let's get outta this place." Vaan grinned and sped off to keep up with the tireless steps of Ashe. If she had noticed the hint that the Rift was close she hadn't stopped to ponder on it, if anything it probably drove her onwards.

Soon enough the sweltering smog of heat began to cool and with it died away the thick flora of the jungle until there were just the usual stone walkways which slowly became speckled with splashes of ice and snow. The few vines that still strangled the path crunched underfoot as the frost had claimed them long ago. My breath began to come out in ghostly plumes in the brisk air. The walkway led to a rocky, mountainous terrain that was blanketed in thick, white snow.

Being children of the desert, Vaan and Penelo had never seen the stuff before. I watched them as they gleefully raced around the frozen ground, Penelo wheeling in graceful movements whilst Vaan's speed hindered him as he slipped and stumbled many a time. Their playful movements left deep tracks in the smooth, untouched snow. Larsa stood at my side. I could sense the little lord wanting to tear up the snow with them yet he made no move to do so. I guess he must have had it drilled into him that nobility was greater than play.

I waded forward a few clumsy steps before bending and scooping up a handful of the frozen stuff, ignoring the sting of the cold biting at my fingers, which quickly turned red in response. I curled my fingers around the loose powder until it began to squash together and formed a ball. I waited until they dashed past me once more before taking aim and hurriedly flung the snowball at Vaan's head. The hit landed with a light thwack, causing him to skid to a halt, a look of puzzlement marking his snow splattered face. Penelo had seen my attack and paused also, a bright laugh ringing out against the light winds. He shook his head to rid his hair of the snow encrusting it and causing to become wet. He dug some out of his ear with a finger before flashing a wicked grin at me.

"Big mistake. You're gonna pay for that one!" He hastily snatched up a handful of snow and began to haphazardly form a snowball.

"Oh no you don't!" Ashe snapped, stepping in-between us. "Do you recall how your last playfight ended when we were upon the wetlands? We haven't the time for this nonsense. We must find warmer wear or warm shelter before we freeze." She insisted hotly, hands to hips and a stern stare gracing her eyes.

Vaan quickly dropped his poorly formed frozen arsenal.

"Okay, okay! Sorry." He held up his hands in defeat.

Appeased, Ashe turned and marched on. She did have a point, the once welcoming cool of the snowy breeze was quickly becoming all the more bitter. It would not be long before we froze and were claimed by hypothermia. None of us were properly dressed for the harsh weather. Ashe with her little pink skirt, Basch with a waistcoat that barely covered his chest, Fran with her skimpy armour and Vaan who was practically shirtless. My green dress offered little protection against the sting of the icy winds.

We pressed on, heads down against the growing winds, arms tightly wrapped around torsos in hope to lock in our dwindling body heat. The cold was becoming so terribly strong that I found it difficult to find footing on the frozen ground due to me shivering so violently. I had never been so cold in my life! My teeth chattered noisily and I futilely rubbed at my bare arms that were now a raw pink due to the whip of the winds. The mountainside was pocketed with coves and caverns which we sort brief refuge in away from the merciless winds.

As we entered one shallow cavern, it was clear we weren't the only ones seeking shelter. An elderly man bundled in thick furs from the backs of all manner of species was sat unmoving on a rock. A couple of hefty burlap sacks had been placed behind him. A large shotgun rested on his lap. In a smooth jerk, he lifted it and took aim.

"You be after more fitting threads I gots 'em but they come at a price, sirs." He looked from one of us to the other as he spoke, probably attempting to gauge whether we were going to be trouble or profit for him.

"Well good fellow, you are in luck as we have Gil a plenty." Balthier stepped forward slowly, keeping his hands at his sides so that the trader could class him as no threat to himself or his stockpile.

He lowered his gun, his bearded face forming a friendly smile.

That began the long and somewhat boring event of haggling for food, medical supplies, ammunition and fur lined cloaks. I hastily tugged on my cloak as soon as it was placed into my waiting, trembling hands. It was made of rough spun cotton in an ugly brown shade and the fur that coated its inside and heavily trimmed the cowl neck was thick and grey- probably wolf's fur. I sighed in relief as it began to ward off the cold. I tugged up the large, droopy hood that was also lined and trimmed with fur in hope it would warm my stinging ears. To accompany our cloaks there were also mittens and what I could only describe as leg warmers which were pulled on over boots and armour before being strapped into place with brown leather garters. These were also fur lined and due to their bulkiness they made walking cumbersome at times. With us finally equipped to face the Rift, we bid farewell to the trader and continued on.

There were many threats and other things that were just as deadly as the frigid cold. Wolves roamed in large packs with such elegance and swiftness that only suggested that they had adapted well to this snowy wasteland. I found it hard enough to move in the awkward new garments let alone wield my spear well enough to actually be of any use in battle. I opted to stick to magicks instead.

The looming grey sky up above was weighty with snow and before long soft, fat flakes lazily rained down upon us. They clung to the wolf fur fringe that trimmed my hood and the frozen winds caused them to freeze in place and resulted in the fur becoming stiff and heavy. I plodded on, head bowed against the winds and snowfall, concentrating hard on getting a good footing. A strong gush whipped my hood back. I didn't bother to move to pull it over my head yet again as I was growing tired of fighting against the wind's onslaught. The cloaks worked well as I was starting to sweat and so I welcomed a few moments of the wind's frozen fingers raking at my face and hair. I had long pulled my locks free from the tight knot I had secured it in and strands fluttered against my wind chapped cheeks as they became slowly adorned with snowflakes. It was as I brought up a hand to brush aside the irritating hair tickling my face I heard it. Through the feral howl of the wind, it cut like a knife, sharp and so clear. I paused and listened harder sure my mind was fooling me. It came again as strong as a crack of lightning. _It couldn't be!_

"Edie? What is it?" Penelo waddled to my side her usual grace compromised by her new chunky clothing.

My head whipped around as my eyes desperately scraping the white and grey of the mountainside. _It can't be._ It came again, strong and demanding. It was closer. I turned to peer across the glassy sheet of ice that had once been a wide river. My heart shuddered to a stop. My ears hadn't deceived me. Sat on his haunches with his tongue lazily logging from his open mouth on the other side of the frozen river was the last thing I expected to see. I gave a shallow gasped and stared unblinking despite the sting of the wind and the snowflakes that sort to cling to my eyelashes. His breath was coming out in steady curls. His black fur was stippled with the falling snow. His colouring was a stark contrast against the pristine white of the snow.

"Kaiser." It came out in a faint whisper as if I actually said his name aloud would cause him to disappear.

Penelo turned her head to follow my gaze, to look upon the large black dog.

My dog.

* * *

Finally! I get to write Kaiser in again! You know what's coming next: the Gran Kiltias, Al-Cid, some truth and a crap load of confusion! Can't wait to write it! :) A big thank you for your reviews, follows and fanart. I'm so glad you're all still interested after me taking so much time off in-between chapters.


	36. Chapter XXXVI

Author's Note

This chapter is well over 12,000 words long. The latter part of it was a pain in the butt to write seems as I had lost an old 'random dialogue' document that included some conversations with the lower ranked Kiltias and Gran Kiltia and so had to work everything out once again!

Thank you, Jennifer. Luna was my ex-boyfriend's dog who I based Kaiser on. She was a lovely dog and someone in the village (to this day we still don't know who) was lacing scraps of meat with rat poison and feeding it to dogs and cats in the area. In the part of Spain where I lived this was a common occurrence not to mention animal cruelty and neglect was rife due to there being no organisations such as the RSPCA to prevent this.

Disclaimer

I do not own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXXVI: White lips, pale face, breathing in the snowflakes.**

I daren't move. My breath caught in my throat. What was he doing here? Would he run again? The wind lashed at the heavy material of my cloak, causing it to lazily swish. Long black strands of hair flurried around and masked my vision in an irritating dance yet I didn't move to sweep them out of the way. He barked again, the sound so crisp against the wail of the wind. With that he spurred off, cutting through the thick snow with ease.

"Kaiser!" I shouted before my feet took flight and I attempted to cross the icy film of the river.

Although I was aware just how foolish and dangerous it was I didn't care. I couldn't lose him, not again. My boots slipped and skidded with each step and many a time I stumbled. I heard the others calling after me though I didn't heed them. Halfway across treacherous stretch of frozen water the ice must have thinned out some as I felt my foot crash through its surface with a heart-stopping crack. Cold daggers slashed at the padding around my leg and quickly seeped through to attack my skin. Despite the shock and the tingling sting of the cold water I dragged my leg up and out of the hole I had made and continued on. I managed to reach the frozen river bank without any other cracks appearing on the gleaming surface. I scrambled up and over the bank, the cloak constantly hindering me. I was half tempted to rip it off and throw it down yet I knew without it I wouldn't last long in these conditions.

"Edie!" I heard Penelo holler at my back.

Her shouts sounded closer than the others. I suddenly realised she too had joined in on this madman's game of chase. I ignored her. I had to, Kaiser was quick and it wouldn't be long before he was out of view. I charged round the jut of the mountain path, snow sharply crunching underfoot. My spear was constantly bumping against my back and the backpack and medic bag I was carrying were weighing me down. The pathway grew steep as it led up the curve of the mountains. Rock and snow framed the road, causing it to become narrow and tight. Good, there was no way he could suddenly veer off. I slipped and went down on my knees a few times yet every time I lurched up and took off once more, ignoring the throb of my bumped knees and scraped hands. Penelo was still shouting me.

As I raced on, the rocky corridor unexpectedly opened up. I watched as the black dog trotted along a bridge that was nothing more but an arch of ice as if he were taking a stroll in the park. I skidded to a stop. The rock of the mountain had split many centuries ago, creating a great chasm. The only way to cross it was the long curve of ice, snow and stone that stretched out before me. As if sensing my hesitation, Kaiser slowed and turned. A long moment passed as if he was waiting for me to catch up before he barked and continued on.

"Kaiser!"

_Sod it!_ I cast my reluctance aside and crossed the make-shift bridge with light but steady footsteps, my arms outstretched to the sides to aid my balance. _What the hell was I doing? If I fell…_ My foot faltered as the strong breeze playfully pushed me. I yelped as I slammed down to the unyielding ice of the bridge. I recovered quickly scrabbling about and clawing at the slippery surface for a decent grip. I let out a few shaky breaths as I caught sight of the dim decorating the bottom of the abyss. It was as if it wanted to reach out to me and snatch me from my temporary perch.

I took another nip of the wintry air before crawling the rest of the way on wobbly hands and knees. Shuffling along wasn't easy but I attempted to be as swift as possible. A low groan ran out among the whirl of the winds. It was promptly followed by a faint crack. The icy link wasn't going to bare my weight for much longer. With a new sense of urgency erasing my sudden vertigo, I speedily scrabbled my way along the structure not even pausing for breath again until I was once more on solid, unmovable rock. I clambered up, ragged breaths of air spurring me on. I set off running when I heard Penelo call my name again. The echo of her voice instantly told me she was on the other side of the ice bridge. I jerked to a stop and spun round, Kaiser suddenly forgotten.

"Penelo- no!" Too late she was already halfway across. I watched, heart thundering in my chest as I hoped her talent for nimbleness wouldn't affect the brittle ice.

The crack was louder this time, it ran out like a shot. The arch snapped and crumbled as chunks of snow and rock crashed down into the unknown depths below. In the up heave of snow, a cloud of pure white masked the scene where the bridge once stood. "Penelo!" I cried and rushed towards the lip of the cliff.

As the drift settled, I saw that there was only less than a third of the walkway remaining on this side of the chasm, the rest was gone. My heart clenched hard as I saw her clinging onto the jagged edge of what remained of the bridge. Though she had been quick enough to cross a safe distance she still hadn't made the entire way across. She scratched and hung on to the remains in a fierce desperation. "Penelo, hold on I'm coming to get you!"

"Hurry! I'm going to fall!" Her voice rang along the mammoth gap. It was raw with fear.

I shed myself of all the bags, spear and even stripped myself of my cloak, gloves and leg wrappings in hurried fitful movements- I even managed to snap the small leather strap of my little shoulder bag in my mad flurry. I gingerly placed a foot on the remains of the bridge, testing to see if it were still strong enough to bear my weight. Another warning squeak vaulted up from the ice. Penelo wailed in fright. I sprang back, fearful it would snap from the cliff face that anchored it and fall with my friend still clinging to it. It held.

"Edie, hurry!"

I could see she was still desperately tearing at the smooth ice in search for a better grip. It didn't help she still had those thick mittens on. I glance about hoping to find something I could extend out to her for her to grab and allow me to pull her to safety. The frosty environment offered nothing but rocks and brittle branches. A noise of utter dread and frustration emitted from deep within my chest. My hands raked at my hair as my eyes flit about in hope for anything that might be of help. Come on, think. They fell upon the heap of supplies that strewed the snow. The backpack! I hurried towards it, crashed to my knees and ripped out its contents until I found what I needed. The rope that we used for guidelines for the tents. I darted back to the cliff edge.

"Penelo, catch!" I flung the length of rope out into the air so it would fall within her reach.

"I-I can't let go! I'm going to fall!"

She didn't even move to seize the lifeline that was a few inches in front of her. I understood. She had finally secured a stronger grip and risking it to snatch at the rope meant she might lose her hold on the ice all together. I would have to go to her instead. I reeled the rope back in and wrapped one end of its length around my waist, securing it in a tight knot. I tugged at the loop several times before satisfied it wasn't going to unravel. I plucked up my spear. There was no way the bamboo would be able to bear such weight if worse came to worse. Its surface was already decorated with scars from where past weapons had maimed it.

_Belias! Lend me your spear!_ I called out to him in my mind.

He obliged and in a sudden surge of heat, my typical weapon transformed into a smaller replica of his own. It was far sturdier than mine and his power radiated through it with reassuring warmth. I whipped it around in a smooth arc before bringing the spearhead down with all the might I could muster so that it sliced into the snow and stone. With the spear rooted into the ground, I fastened the free end of the rope around its protruding pole, testing its knot with a few sharp, hasty tugs. It would have to do. I returned my attention upon Penelo and her plight.

"It's okay! I'm coming to get you!" I called over the whip of the wind.

My attempt to sound brave and encouraging was betrayed by the panic that was biting at my nerves. I tenderly ventured a step out onto the ice. It creaked again. I ignored it and took another step. It was only three steps more before I was in reach of her. They were the longest steps of my life. Arms outstretched for balance, breath held in my lungs and trying so hard not to shiver against the snow laced breeze. I finally reached her. The ice was starting to become all the more verbal in its protest against my unwanted weight upon it. I bent slightly and stretched my hand down to her. She probably wasn't even aware I was in front of her, she was clung to the ice that urgently that even her cheek was pressed again its surface.

"Grab my hand!"

She lifted her head. With as much care as I could, I stooped down further so my hands were a shorter distance away. The remains of the bridge began to croon in complaint, the creak of the ice giving way under our combined weight. Penelo must have felt the shudders of the groans as she slowly reached her hand upwards. I grabbed her wrist with an unwavering grip. I hadn't dared seize her gloved hand in case it came away in my grasp. I attempted to yank her up. The bridge's warble of whimpers was beginning to peak.

"Give me your other hand!"

"Penelo!" A voice heavy with horror boomed through the thick snowfall.

I glanced up to see that the others had finally caught up with us and were stood on the other side of the chasm. Vaan was practically teetering on the cliff's edge in want to save his friend. The groans climaxed with a final heart juddering crack. The ice began to break. I desperately sort her other hand. Then there was nothing but the roar of the wind assaulting us as we followed the shards of ice in their plummet. My stomach felt as if it had vaulted into my throat and that my heart had long stopped beating. In the last attempt to grab Penelo, I tugged the limb I had hold of with so much force she crashed into me. She responded quickly, wrapping her arms around my torso in a vice-like cinch.

We continued to fall in this fierce embrace until the rope that was our salvation whipped taut, instantly halting our descent. The harsh yank of it jerked the breath from my chest as the rope had actually wrenched up slightly and now was wrapped around the very top of my waist, under my ribs. The force of our sudden stop caused us to swing violently, crashing my back against the craggy cliff face and once again stealing what little breath I had managed to gather. Pain flashed like a thunderstorm. I coughed and spluttered for breath. When my lungs did finally recall how to work it felt like daggers were pricking their depths. I only dared take slight snippets of air after that, scared I was going to lose consciousness if the pain ensued. I was sure the jolt of the rope had broken a rib. We swung slightly as the momentum evened out and the airborne ice and snow settled. It was then I actually heard the frantic shouts and wails coming from the other side of the cliff. Vaan was clearly beside himself.

Penelo, whose head was tucked under my chin, gradually lifted her head to look up at me. I noticed in the fall my arms had also encircled her and was holding onto her just as tightly. She let out a heavy sigh of relief and once more dropped her head. It was clear that neither of us would be able to scale the rope. Even if one of us could, I doubt we had the brawn to pull the other one up to safely. It would seem we would have to sit tight and await our rescue.

The nauseating throb in my chest was beginning to numb. Its disappearance wasn't a relief, it was a worry. I was without protection against the harsh elements and was only just starting to notice its affects now that the adrenaline of my little rescue mission was seeping away. I began to shiver. The wind swirled around us, kissing us with falling snowflakes. Its howl was soft, as if attempting to sooth our panic. The whistle of it whirling through the rift was oddly melodic. I frowned. Why was its song so familiar?

* * *

"Penelo!" It came out as a strange, strangled cry, one that Vaan had never heard come from his throat before.

His eyes were pinpointed on where the shelf of ice had once clung to the cliff. The airborne debris settled with a taunting slowness. He continued to call her name, his fear filled voice echoing back as if it were another cruel jape of the cliffs.

"I cannot see them!" Larsa too was anxiously watching and waiting for the cloud of ice and dust to diminish.

The others crowded close to the two youngsters, necks craned in hope for a better look. After what seemed like an eternity the smog became all the more wispy, revealing that there, dangling on the end of a rope were the two girls, desperately clinging to one another whilst the snowy winds rocked them gently back and forth.

"Penelo!" Vaan gasped. Despite his relief another jolt of dread seized him. What if they were to fall? "We gotta get to them and quick- there has to be another way across!" Vaan moved to push past the others and take off in search of another course.

"Cool your heels." Balthier gripped his arm. "Speeding off aimlessly is what caused this mess."

"Then just what do we do?" Larsa stepped to Vaan's side, a supportive hand placed on the boy's other arm in an attempt to still his bristling anxiety and want to bolt off.

"We make use of our map and of our wits."

"We don't have time to sit and think!" Vaan moaned, jerking out of the sky-pirate's grip as well as shrugging off Larsa's sympathetic touch.

Balthier sighed as if deeply plagued by Vaan's green ways.

"Look. There, near the cliff's sill." He motioned with a flick of his hand.

Vaan turned and squinted against the rain of snowflakes. The thing anchoring the rope they dangled from was a large, hefty looking spear.

"Is that the spear of the Gigas?" Ashe stepped forward a pace in hope to get a better look.

"'That it is. Fear not, Vaan the beast won't allow them to fall so we have time enough to plan a sensible route round."

"Fine." He gave in and instead of running off, once more stepped to the cliff's edge. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Penelo, Edie! Hang on! We're coming to get you!" He yelled as loud as he could, praying that the wind wouldn't whip his words back in his face and that the girls could actually hear him.

"Okay!" Penelo's call returned, muted somewhat by the wind.

"You okay?" He shouted back.

"Kind of! We're hanging from a rope if you haven't noticed!" Her playful tone caused relief to surge up and wipe away any lingering worry that afflicted him. She was well enough to poke fun at him, which was reassuring.

Content she was alright for the time being he turned back to the group. "Where's the map then?"

After looking over the scroll of hide with the Paramina Rift's landscape etched onto it, they had finally found a safe way round the gorge. They set off, having to double back to the frozen river. For once it was actually Vaan who was marching determinedly up at the front. He swiftly hacked down wolves and other wildlife and actually steered clear of the large roaming packs instead of enticing them into a needless scrap like he so normally did. The time seemed to trickle by as they scaled the mountainside and snaked their way around to their destination and their friends.

* * *

It was so cold. My shivering was becoming all the more violent. Penelo noticed this and attempted to shield me from the wind's onslaught by wrapping part of her cloak around me. The gale stubbornly kept whipping it back against her form. The chill had long numbed my fingers though they remained clutching to the younger girl just as fiercely. Each breath of air was thin due to the broken rib I had gained on my tumbled down, each inhale seemed to draw in more of the slowly deadening cold. I attempted to focus on anything else other than the cold and my frustration of losing Kaiser once again.

The wind's melodic screech still rang in my ears. Every time I thought it had died down, it whirled back, repeating the same harmony again and again as if it were a chorus. As odd as it seemed I was certain I had heard the melody before. I struggled to place it. I realised the freezing temperature must have been effecting my rationality. Here I was dangling from a rope thinking that the wind's feral call was actually some catchy tune long forgotten and residing in the depths of my mind. I almost scoffed aloud at such nonsense yet as I attempted to replace my focus elsewhere the wind's song would start up once more resulting in me to mull over its melody.

Even the stiff sound of hastily approaching footsteps in the snow didn't distract me from the mountain's music. I was vaguely aware of Vaan calling out his dear friend's name, the concern in his voice a rare tenor. They must have begun to yank us up then as I felt tug of the rope jolt a new knife of pain along my ribs. I gasped- an unsteady shudder of a breath. The icy song sang on as if in hope to comfort me from the swift return of the pain. We were hauled up over the lip of the cliff and collapsed to the frozen grown. Penelo, aware of my dancing on the edge of hypothermia, gently pulled me up into a sitting position and carefully unravelled the rope constricting my waist. Vaan was unaware of her concern as he crouched down to envelope her in a tight hug.

I frowned in thought. I would have thought the howl of the wind along the gorge would have died down when we were no longer swaying in its jaws yet it continued on. Vaan's relief and joy that Penelo was alive and well quickly vanished when he turned to regard me.

"This was all your fault!" He growled. His blunt accent broke up the enchanting calm of the gale's song. "What the hell were you thinking? You're supposed to be the _responsible_ one!" He moved to shove me but Penelo quickly intercepted, grabbing the offending hand and then pushing it aside.

I didn't care he was angry with me I just wanted to listen to the growing squall.

"Leave her be! She's injured." She scolded him. Vaan's gaze flickered over me once more. It would seem he now noticed just how grey my skin had turned and how badly I was shaking. "Go fetch her cloak before she freezes." He obeyed and trudged off. "Edie? Edie, are you alright?" Penelo said her gentle voice merging so wonderfully with the pleasant din.

Vaan returned with my cloak and she hurriedly draped it around me, tugging the hood up. I didn't want the damn thing up I wanted to feel the clamour weave through my hair and sing in my ears. I sluggishly swiped it back. Worried, Penelo cast her magicks to mend my broken rib, hoping it would snap me out of my trance. The euphoric feeling that often accompanied a healing spell married well with the strange, numb peace I was feeling. What was this song? What was it?

"The cold's claimed her." Came Basch's grim voice. It would seem healing magicks didn't go so far as to cure hypothermia or whatever I was suffering from.

I was sure I knew it, but from where? Why was it in the wind?

"Better seek shelter before she perishes then." Balthier quipped.

"We passed a cavern not long back. It will have to make do." Ashe insisted.

"The winds swell. A storm gathers." Fran had her nose held high to the growing winds.

"So much for our passage on the Rift being a speedy one." Sighed the sky-pirate.

I felt hands tenderly lift me to my feet. My limbs were heavy and stiff and I doubted I'd be able to stand without their support. I swayed, closing my eyes. I was torn, a part of me wanted the wailing to be silent yet another fragment of me wanted nothing more to lend my voice to its melody. I wondered if this was why the mountain wolves howled so, did they feel this too?

"Steady." Penelo soothed as her warm fingers softly swept the hair from my face. My hair was damp and heavy with clusters of snow. She turned to whoever else was keeping me on my feet. "You may have to carry her. I don't think she can walk well enough."

"Aye." Grunted a guff voice. Basch.

I felt one of the hands that were steadying me move to slip around my back and an arm hooking around the backs of my knees. In one fluid movement I was lifted and held in his arms. With that we moved on. I allowed my head to rest against the rough wool of his cloak whilst he slogged on against the rising blizzard. The snow was falling thicker and faster now though the wind's voice remained the same. It was slow and steady, almost sorrowful despite its high-pitched cry. This song, I know it.

"Pray…"My voice was muted and hoarse, barely audible above the wind's warble. "..Saviour… Dream.. Child of Prayer…"

"Edie?" Basch paused a tinge of alarm in his voice.

"For..ever and…Ever…Bring us…Peace."

* * *

I couldn't recall reaching the small cavern, though I was positive I didn't lose consciousness. The harmony of the Rift kept me from sorting rest. Under Fran's instruction I was quickly rid of my sodden cloak and wrapped up in a fur-lined bedroll and numerous blankets. My wet, snow covered hair was roughly dried using a spare blanket and was also swathed in something dry and warm, probably a towel. The blizzard was gathering strength as the snow was lashing down far more forcefully now and the gush of the wind was almost frenzied.

"It was fortunate we found refuge when we did. Travelling in such weather would have been a fool's folly." Larsa commented, his attention to the flurry of white wildly slashing through the air outside the heaven of rock.

His words were distant to me, as if he were far away or not even there at all. I had to focus hard on the conversation that rose from them.

"Yes, in a shelter so grim it may as well be our tomb, without the pleasure of a humble fire, how fortunate." Balthier scoffed, arms sullenly crossed over his chest.

"The gods do test us. We must endure." Ashe sighed as she aided Penelo to arrange the remainder our bedding about me so I was in the centre of a large circle of bedrolls and blankets.

I suppose she was right. Our travels had never been straightforward or uneventful, threats and foes peppered every passage. I was growing weary of it, yet Ashe being the resolute, strong willed girl she was took it all in her unwavering stride.

"It is she who they are testing." Basch muttered after a long pause, gestured with a nod of the head in my direction.

"How so?" Larsa asked, curious about Basch's certainty in the matter. "Due to her chill sickness?"

"She spoke strangely when I did carry her, as if reciting an aged hymn."

"Oh?" Balthier feigned pondering. "More likely nonsense birthed from a mind turning slow from snow chill. She was raving, not speaking in tongues."

If my teeth hadn't been chattering so much I would have spat an insult back at him. I was well aware how mad I had suddenly seemed saying that strange string of words. I still was attempting to place where I had recalled them from but my mind was still lethargic from dealing with the drastic dip in my body's temperature.

Fran began to sift through the items in the medic pack that she had been carrying in my place. She selected mainly dried items. Once sure she had all she needed she used one of our tin bowls and ventured out into the blizzard a few steps to scoop up some snow. The dried ingredients were crushed and ground expertly by rolling a smooth roundish rock over the selected substance that was laid on a flat rock, causing it being like a make-shift pestle and mortar.

"What are you makin'?" Vaan managed to say whilst still chewing on a strip of dried cocktrace meat he had helped himself to.

"Blood tea. She must be warmed, the hot swill will heat her, the tea's herbs shall replenish her."

I knew it wasn't the same tea I had brewed for her as the ingredients were different. I noticed she was currently crushing a dried sprig of blood moss, a plant that was renowned for its blood cleansing and healing properties. It would seem the tea would hopefully stir my lazy blood flow back to its normal, healthy course.

"How you gonna heat it if we can't build a fire?"

The Viera showed him with a quick and graceful swoop of her hand. A small sudden flame encircled the tin bowl's base, causing the dull grey rock beneath it to flush a fiery red. The flames licked at the tin only for a few seconds before vanishing, yet this was time enough to melt the snow and leave behind simmering water. Vaan nodded in approval before taking another generous bite of the tough snack in his mitts.

Fran then took a pinch of the crushed ingredients and added it a bit at a time, all the while stirring with Penelo's wooden cooking spoon until the water was fortified with their medicinal properties. Content the potion had been brewed enough she ladled some into one of our tin mugs.

"Drink this she must. Eat too, to keep the body active. She cannot sort rest until she be warm." She turned to Penelo the mug held in outstretched hands, those long fingers of hers curled delicately around the ugly metal.

"How come?" Penelo accepted the mug offered to her.

"Her being still and silent are the final stages of chill sickness. It be harder to bring her back from that."

I attempted to take sips from the mug but my shivering was causing the simple task of drinking to become all the more difficult. I managed to get some of it down. The comforting heat caressed my throat and stirred in my gut where it then slowly radiated out in fingers of welcoming warmness. I was also handed a strip of meat to gnaw on. After what seemed an age I had finally devoured the needed meal. My jaw ached from having to grind the tough meat in-between my teeth.

"We ought rest while we await for the snowstorm to dwindle, we still have a ways to venture." Ashe suggested unbuckling her sword belt and bringing it from under her cloak. She carefully placed it on the ground.

"Sleep close to her. Your warmth will aid her mending." Fran was packing away the items she had used to brew the potion.

"But if she can't sleep then someone must make sure she doesn't do so." Penelo was perched at my side, the tin cup I had drank from still in her hands though it was long empty.

"I'm still here you know." I grumbled, my voice rough and occasionally broken up by my shivering.

I was growing warmer as the lure of the mountain's song was weakening, rationality was returning. Penelo turned her head to give me a reassuring smile. Vaan stretched and yawned before flopping down on the bedroll his friend was sat on. He tugged one of the spare blankets over him.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, I'm bushed." With that he flopped back with a contented sigh.

Penelo looked down at her friend with a scowl, clearly annoyed by how he was more interested in napping rather than the problem she had presented.

"I will see to it she remains wakeful whilst you rest, Penelo." Basch promised her.

"But you need rest too."

"As do I need to ensure that no threats catch us unawares."

"A knight's work is never through." Balthier snickered as he rid himself of his gun holster and ammo pack.

With that the group settled down for respite, all huddled close, blankets and cloaks forming a slapdash shield against the stinging cold. Fran had even selected a few medium sized rocks and cast her fire spell upon them until they were charged with a steady warmth. They were dotted about our pile so their forms slowly radiated heat into the frozen cavern floor.

It wasn't long before the feeling began to return to my fingers, along with it came the slightly painful tingle that prickled along the flesh as my body's blood flow was returning back to its more active self. I wriggled my fingers as I patiently waited for the sensation to stop. I realised I still was wearing my fur-lined mittens. Time sailed by as my eyes were uplifted to the cavern's low slung roof and the faint comforting sound of the others dozing mingled with the noise of the weather beyond our shelter. Being wrapped in furs and surrounded by random limbs made moving about near impossible. My mouth was dry from the salt that had been used to cure the cocktrace meat and I could no longer ignore it.

I craned my neck in an attempt to peer past the bundle of blankets that was probably Penelo. The faint ring of a whetstone working against steel was barely able to cut through the call of the wind yet my ears managed to make out its soft clatter. In the dim I saw a cloaked form sat on the fringes of our dog-pile, his attention to the harsh mountainside and the elements attacking it beyond the mouth of the cavern.

"Basch?" I croaked out. The metallic hum of stone on blade stilled and the form turned to glance over at me. He had the heavy hood pulled up to help ward of the chill. "Can you hand me the water flask, please?"

Without a word he rose and approached the heap of blankets and sleepers before plucking a leather flask free from a pocket formed in the sea of rough spun wool and wolf fur. We had to keep the flask close to us in these frigid temperatures as to stop the water freezing solid. I carefully wriggled in hope to free my arm from the tight bundle I was bound in and prop myself up. He noticed my struggling and helped me by loosening the cocoon of blankets so I could slink my arm from their clutches. I accepted the flask with thanks and took a long drink from it.

"You have your wits about you once more. How are you feeling?"

I could only just make out his features in the shadows, it didn't help that his hood cast further darkness upon his face. Despite this I could tell he was studying me.

"Better." It was true, my thoughts had returned to normal and I was barely shivering thanks to the combined heat of the others around me.

"Good. You were acting most strangely, as if in a daze, the cold had claimed your mind."

"I don't really remember much, just trying to get to Penelo before the rest of the ice bridge dropped."

"I thought it odd you used the method you did to save her. Why did you not manipulate your ice magicks to strengthen the structure?"

That brilliant idea hadn't graced my mind when I had been panicking about the young girl's safety. In retrospect it was ridiculously obvious that that would have been the safer, easier option. I inwardly cursed at my own stupidity. What had been the point in focusing so much time and attention to that particular spell if I didn't use it in situations such as the one I had faced?

"Because I'm an idiot." I muttered, struggling to fasten the decorative metal cap on the flask thanks to my thick mittens. It eventually snapped shut.

"Hindsight can be a troublesome thing but with it comes learning." He encouraged.

"I hope so." I returned the flask to him and he stowed it under the blankets again. He must have noted the fatigue gracing my voice as he suggested,

"You should sleep. There is little danger of you succumbing to chill sickness now." He rose and moved to retake his post.

"What about you, when do you get to rest?" I asked remaining propped up on my elbows so I could still look at him.

"There will be time enough for such things when we reach the Kilita's temple." He seated himself and returned to honing his weapon.

He must have been near frozen sat by himself, nothing but axe and whetstone to revert his attention from the icy temperature. But Basch being his usual stubborn self he would happily endure such a discomfort in sake of honouring and protecting his monarch. I had learnt the only way you could get him to see otherwise was to use such subject as leverage.

"I doubt any wolves are going to risk this weather to hunt and if they do you probably wouldn't be of much use if the cold got to you. I'm sure Ashe wouldn't mind you keeping warm whilst guarding us."

The soft scraping paused as he mulled over such a suggestion. It was so silly. No one would think less of him if he actually did decided to sleep instead of pointlessly stand guard. The silence hung for a few beats, the crack of the winds filling the void.

"Suit yourself." I sighed and lay down amongst the others.

I closed my eyes awaiting the steady harmony of him sharpening his blade to hum once more when instead faint footsteps whispered out in the cavern. He settled down to my left amidst Balthier and Larsa. I felt the warmth radiate from him and fill the small void where the gap between the sleeping sky-pirate and little lord lay. I knew full well he wouldn't sort sleep, his attention would still remain upon the entrance of our temporary safe spot until it was time to move on once more. I curled up closer to Penelo and finally allowed my consciousness to slip away.

* * *

It felt as if only a few minutes had passed since I had allowed my eyes to close when someone harshly shaking my shoulder yanked me from the lull of slumber. I woke with a start to see Penelo leaning over me.

"Hmm?" Was all I managed to get out whilst my mind slowly shook off the final dregs of sleep.

Seeing my eyes focused and that my body was no longer racked with tremors, she sighed with relief.

"You're alright!" She enveloped me in a quick but tight hug.

"I could do with another five minutes sleep." I complained as I pulled myself into a sitting position.

"Sorry, no can do, the storms over."

I cast a glance to the cavern's entrance to see that the blizzard had left its mark upon the land. There was nothing but white, as if all colour had been bled from the mountainside. I also noticed that everyone barring me and Vaan were up and sorting through weapons and supplies, no doubt ready to be on the move again.

Fully awake, I stretched and got to my feet, disrobing myself of blankets, towels and cloaks as I did so. I picked up my once sodden cloak to find that the water it had held had frozen causing it to be stiff. How the hell was I going to wear that? Basch notice me holding the garment and studying it with a wrinkled nose. He retrieved it from my hands and with one smooth whip shook it out, causing the ice shards to crack and shed from the wool and fur. He repeated the manoeuvre a few times more before returning it to me. I guess mine wasn't the only cloak that the cold had got to. As I shrugged on my assigned bags I noticed one important item was missing.

"Erm, where's my spear?" I asked Penelo as she was fastening the strap on her own backpack.

"It's still out on the cliff. We couldn't pull it free. The Gigas wouldn't allow it I guess."

Ready to face the mountainside, we left our shelter and ventured out into the snow once again. The mountains had taken on a very different appearance. White masked rocks, rivers, pathways- everything. The only element that hadn't been bled of colour was the sky overhead. Though dense clouds were scattered in its expanse, there were flashes of pure blue peeking through. Snow still fell, yet their rain was sparse and sluggish. The chill still remained in the air but in this brighter setting its sensation was more crisp than cutting.

We made a detour to the cliff so that I could regain my weapon before continuing in our hike. True to Penelo's words, my spear in the guise of Belias weapon remained where I had left it hours ago. I paced forward and wound my hands around the sturdy ash pole, feeling the gentle warmth of his power instantly curl around my fingers. I bowed my head.

_Thank you. _

With a light tug the spearhead came effortlessly free from the rock and snow it was buried in. It was obvious my strength hadn't achieved it, the Gigas was no doubt wanting to be reunited. In a blaze the spear reverted back to my usual weapon. Ashe had watched the whole spectacle with widened eyes. She stepped forward, snow crunching underfoot until she stopped at my side.

"He truly is loyal to you. It would seem you were a smart match."

My cheery bark of laughter seemed to startle her. She narrowed her eyes at me, thinking I was laughing at her. I had forgotten she had only ever witnessed us together when he was obedient. She had been locked in grief when our partnership had been in its first few days, when he had cursed my weakness and my having to convince him otherwise through battling him into submission. I swiftly ceased sniggering before I endured one of her scathing tongue lashings that Vaan so often got.

"Yep, he obeys me but he only does so to serve you, Ashe." I explained.

"You mean..?"

"It wasn't me he wanted to be bound to. That one he made very clear from the get go."

"Then why does he heed you?"

"'Cause if I die our bond is broken. It's the only way Belias can stay with you and lend his power to his former master's bloodline. Basically, I'm the middle man." I shrugged.

"I see." She stated somewhat solemnly. I guess she felt as if she had been insulting her heritage by passing up the Gigas.

"He could have it worse." She turned to glance at me waiting for me to elaborate, "He could have been bound to Balthier."

Her lips quirked into a smile. She was much like Basch in that respect, smiles didn't grace her face often but when they did she looked all the better for it, more youthful.

We continued up the mountain, wading through the dense snowfall until we came to more narrow paths weaving up the rock, edge with towering ice encrusted cliffs. Here it was easier going, the snow had already been walked on and compacted hard to the ground. Ache began to gnaw at my legs as the steep climb stretched on. After a good few hours we saw people up ahead also tirelessly traipsing on, heads down, belongings strapped to their backs.

"Those folk, do they travel all this way to pray to the Light?" Penelo asked as we paused for a moment to catch our breath.

"They travel not for worship. They sort refuge." Larsa stopped at her side.

"From the cold?" Vaan scratched his head still looking on at the travellers in the distance.

"They fled their homelands to seek safety here. Mount Bur-Omisace has never fallen under the control of any foreign power. On the understanding that Kiltia's followers would exempt themselves from political dealings in other lands, Kingdom and Empire both formed a pact to guarantee the holy city's independence, an agreement which stands to this day." The youth explained, well-informed as always.

"So they're safe because the war won't reach here." Vaan contemplated.

"A man foolish enough to besmirch sacred grounds with blood spill shall no doubt answer to the gods." Basch grunted.

"Superstitious are we, Captain?" Balthier sauntered past the older man until he came within a few paces of Larsa. "Empires parade down city streets while refugees walk barefoot through the snow." He observed the faraway figures with his hands to his hips.

It was clear by his tone what he was hinting at. His attempt to shame Larsa seemed a little superfluous, the boy was already well aware what havoc his household was causing countless others. It was why he aided us so. Perhaps he was just provoking him, either way Larsa rose to the bait, sharply turning.

"And so I sue for peace to stop short war and ease their suffering. My father will choose peace." He insisted, his form ridged, his chin held high, eyes bright with integrity. The mountain air pushed back his dark hair from his face.

"Will he now? You sound sure of yourself." The sky-pirate's tone darkened suddenly, "You can never know another. Even your father." He walked on, Fran silently following, only offering the sound of her heels on the snow.

Larsa remained where he stood, his eyes to the ground, no doubt mulling over the warning Balthier had so bluntly posed. I too was a little taken back by the swift whip round in his demeanour. He relished in goading others though this had been a blatant marker so that he could cruelly taunt 'I told you so' to Larsa if and when his father did cause an almighty war to break out. Either that or our loveable rogue indeed did have daddy issues.

"Don't take it the wrong way, okay?" Vaan took a small step towards his new friend.

The younger boy gave a slight nod. Yet again with this war business, the three of them were far too young to be fretting over such a thing. The mood needed to be brightened and quickly.

"Yeah Larsa, I mean he's _always_ troubling me!" I offered also wanting to make amends for Balthier's harsh words. "Mocking me while I'm training, saying I should stick to being potion dispenser, calling me 'waitress'. In fact the only time he ever complimented me he added an insult on the end- and I quote," I cleared my throat and attempted to mimic his smooth voice, "'Edie, you have the singing voice as sweet as that of a canary's 'tis a pity you have the temperament of a harpy!'"

A gasp escaped from Penelo, clearly shocked by such a taunt, Vaan found it hilarious giggling like a loon and Larsa's once half-hearted smile grew all the more genuine.

"When did he say such a thing to you?" Penelo asked as we slowly began to walk before we lagged too far behind the others.

"The night we camped with the gypsies when you danced, I sung and Vaan got drunk."

"Well, that's a little rude to say such a thing." Balthier was never anything but charming to Penelo. She was sweet, friendly, listened well and never rose to any challenge the sky-pirate posed so he was just as kind to her in return.

"It's the truth though." Vaan snickered.

I darted a hand out to clip the back of his head but he had anticipated my reaction and dodged the assault easily. A pause grazed the air, though I was glad to say it wasn't weighty or grave, in fact it was soon broken by Larsa's inquisitive tone,

"Why does he call you 'waitress'?"

"I was renowned for being the best waitress in all of Dalmasca."I joked.

"Yeah right! You were the worst, were never there and when you were you were terrible!" Vaan scoffed.

"Beats being Sir Vaan Ratsbane!" I countered.

"Hey, someone had to step up and do that dirty job."

"Come on, Larsa." I heard Penelo say to him over our playful quarrelling, taking him by the arm. "They'll be arguing for the rest of the trip, better leave them to it."

Once our spirits had been lifted by some harmless wordplay, the seemingly endless mountain path didn't seem such a demanding endeavour. As my boots crunched the already hardened snow further into the rocky earth my mind went back to what had happened. Kaiser. It just didn't add up. What was he doing all the way out here in such inhospitably conditions? Why did he run from me when he was normally so obedient? Surely he recognised me but he had chosen to flee from familiarity and take his chances out in the snow. It just seemed so out of character of him to do so.

Many people I had come across on my travels (Kytes, the nomads in the Giza Plains, the travelling gypsies) had seen him yet he had always seemed on the move, as if travelling towards something. He was always one step ahead but was I supposed to follow in this grand game of chase? Just what was I heading towards and, more importantly, why? Perhaps it may lead to a way home. I hoped so.

Growing tired of my thoughts trailing in circles over the matter I cast them aside, vowing next time I saw him, I'd hunt him down until I finally did catch him.

As we continued on the heavy smears of clouds began to clear, the air became light and thin though still agonisingly cold. We came to a cramped cove nestled at the gates of the holy grounds. Taking shelter in the curve of the jagged, towering cliff faces were merchants, traders and even a Moogle who had a gaggle of chocobo's to hire. We did the usual tedious routine of trading pelts and fangs harvested from the wrath of the mountains for more useable wears.

As I wandered over to the chocobo pen to get a better look at the strange birds, a flash of blue in the midst of the greys and browns of the refugees' garments snagged my attention. I turned my head and saw there greeting each and every person whether they be here for refuge or faith was one of the Kiltia. Their garb was fashioned in a rich blue hue with decorative gold trim etched on cuffs and coat lapels. Thick woollen trousers stopped at the calf to show boots fashioned from white wolf skin. This one wore a strange sort of simple headdress to illustrate his rank.

When finished with the trader we moved along with the thin throng of people until we reached the city's gates. The Kiltia bowed his head in greeting before saying,

"The Light welcomes all- seekers of its faith, seekers of it shelter. Come forth and uni-" His eyes had been meandering across our little group as he spoke. His words came to an abrupt halt when they paused on me.

He merely stared for an uncomfortably long moment too seemingly dumbstruck to string any words together anymore. I was growing uneasy by this strange stunned behaviour. What was this guy's problem? Eventually, once his mind had become unjammed, he suddenly raised his hands to his chest palms pressed together, before bowing his head much like a Taiwanese person would _wai_ to show respect.

"You have returned, sister."

That was the last thing I had expected him to say.

"Excuse me?" I blinked I disbelief. Did he really just address me as 'sister'? I assumed he meant it as in a religious title rather than suggesting we were siblings. Either way both possibilities were unbelievably impossible.

"Wait a minute, you know her?" Vaan glanced from the young man before us to me and back again, clearly attempting to make the connection.

"Yes. This is a joyous time. We have been expecting your return for quite some time now. Please come, you must meet with Disciple Mikel at once!" He spoke in a quick excited burst, before ushering us on into the mountain grounds with a flap of his hands, the heavy sleeves of his robes lazily fluttering too. He bounced off up ahead with hasty steps.

"This is amazing! We've finally found someone you knows you, Edie." Penelo smiled warmly.

I felt a knot of dread being to curl and twist in my stomach. There was no possible way this Kiltia or any other for that matter knows me. I had never been here before in my life and not to mention the obvious and important fact I wasn't even from Ivalice! This was clearly a case of mistaken identity and my proving otherwise was going to be a very tricky tactic.

The grounds of the temples were beautifully grand. Great grey stone structures stretched up into the sky. Their masonry and colouring made it look as if they had been carved out of the mountainside. The place was still very uneven and steep in areas resulting in many flights of steps dotted here and their leading to various walkways. The most eye-catching element the mountain's summit had to offer was its spectacular views. The cloud marred sky pushed out to infinity, the only thing blotting its timeless stretch was small islands hovering much like that of Bhujerba did.

We followed the Kiltia until we reached the piazza that dwelled before the temple's immense stone steps. There stood at the very fringes of the stone patio, his clawed hands resting upon the balcony that framed the temple's edges was a red skinned Bangaa decked in Kiltia robes. The young Kiltia hurried over to him in a flurry of robes, boots noisily slapping on the slate floor and breaths puffing out in visible plumes.

"Disciple Mikel!" He hastily bowed. The Bangaa slowly turned his lizard-like head to regard the lower ranked Kiltia, his attention to the sky lost. "Brother, she has returned to us." He gestured over to our group.

He turned to peer over his shoulder at what the youth was pointing at, his beady eyes locking onto me. With his interest captured, he slowly turned and made his way over, the other Kiltia hovering at his elbow all the while.

The members of our group parted and moved aside for him as he waddled near. When he stood before me he bowed his head much like the young Kiltia had previously greeted me.

"His Grace has dreamt of your returning to us for a time now. It is good to see you again, sister. I trust your pilgrimage here was a safe one." His voice was surprisingly smooth for a Bangaa.

Now that he was closer I could see though he wasn't elderly he owned a long beard sprouting from his chin and the scaly skin flaps that hung from his head were adorned in a headdress of some sort, suggesting he was of a greater rank than the Hume by his side. Despite his holy air a trifling sense of familiarity stirred in the back of my mind. I struggled to shake off the distracting déjà vu.

"How do you know Edie?" Penelo asked when I struggled to come up with something to say in return to him. I could tell she was excited to finally find out how I supposedly fit into this culture and just who I was.

"Edie?" He repeated the unknown name slowly as if his tongue was testing it out for the first time.

"It's my name." I clarified, finally finding my voice. I was still unsure how to go about this.

"You do not know her by this name?" Balthier folded his arms across his chest. Great, the last thing I needed was his niggling curiosity to peak once more.

"She is known to us as Marishka."

"So not Edie Navidson?" Balthier's eyebrows rose slightly, his tone higher pitched in inquisitiveness.

"Nay, Marishka San Costa." I frowned at the name. I had never heard it before. It wasn't even slightly similar to my own.

"Then I think you're mistaken, I'm Edie Navidson, not this Marishka. I guess we must look alike." I shrugged, hoping to put an end to the discussion. Case solved, mistaken identity, let's move on.

"That is most impossible, sister, as not only do you look alike, you sound alike, share the same markings and mannerisms and you carry something only Marishka would know to return to me."

"What's that?"

"That spear." He signalled to the item in question with an elegant sweep of his clawed hand.

"This? I got it from the Nalbina Dunegons."

"How did you come to obtain it?"

"It was in the hold with other prisoner belongings- I didn't even pick it out, he did." I jerked a thumb to the sky-pirate that was now stood at my side. I noticed his eyes had been darting back and forth between the two of us as we spoke not wanting to miss the slightest inclination of a false truth or a twitch of a lie.

"Just how does a spear prove she is indeed who you say she is?" Balthier asked.

"That spear belonged to my brother. I believe he was also in those dungeons when you were."

And it hit me like a sledge hammer to the gut. Of course he looked familiar, his red skin, his bulk, even his movements were the same. He was the brother of the brave Bangaa that had attempted to defend me from the three Seeqs in Nalbina. The one that had been brutally clubbed to death.

"Hynal…"

"Who?" Vaan rubbed at his nose probably attempting to recall who we were speaking of. When Vaan had come across the poor warrior he had been receiving the beating that cost him his life.

"The red skinned Bangaa who the Seeq dungeon masters- I'm so sorry, he…" A swarm of guilt reared in me, causing my words to trail off.

"His Grace did dream of his sacrifice. I have mourned him well." He said calmly.

Despite his soothing tone the guilt that surged within me refused to diminish. I felt sick. However there was one distraction that I clung on to, that fact that none of this still made sense.

"Sacrifice? He was imprisoned because he was a member of the resistance that attacked Rabanastre's palace the night of the Consul's fete. I only had just met him, he had seen one of the Seeq's lackeys rough me up."

"He offered you protection without exchange for something in return? Did you not think that odd?"

"He said the Light would pardon him if he used his strength to help others. He told me about protecting his brother- you- on your journey here but afterwards he was restless so he joined the resistance."

"A good reason though not prudent enough for him to give his life for you."

"Am I correct to presume you're sibling was strategically placed there to be a guardian to her?" Balthier asked the very notion that had popped into my train of thought. He asked it with a cooler head than I currently had.

"We have been following her movements for some time. I did fear for her safety when we received news of her incarceration and so sent Hynal to ensure her safety."

"Sounds to me you are very sure she is indeed who you say she is."

"He's wrong. If I had known about Hynal I wouldn't have let him fight those Seeqs alone and it still doesn't explain the fact that I didn't recognise or pick out your brother's weapon, it was Balthier who did."

"And he managed to choose that one weapon of significance out of countless, more suitable wears? The Light was honouring my brother's deed by returning his weapon to the temple grounds so that it could be laid to rest in his stead in the Garden of the Guardians."

"How do I know you're not just making this up to fit your argument that I am Marishka San Costa?"

"The spear, please." He stretched out his hands, palms up in waiting. I pulled my spear from its harness and handed it to him. "When one takes on the role of protector to another Kiltia in their long and testing journey to these sacred grounds, their chosen weapon is honoured by the Light, blessed by Faram the Father. Did you not ever think it abnormal that its simple bamboo never broke in battle?" His claw tipped fingers dexterously unscrewed the part of the spearhead's hilt. One of the metal rings that secured the simple blade began to loosen. When it had been slackened enough the ring slipped down to reveal that on the very end of the spear's blade were the metal met the wood was a length of artfully penned script seared into the metal. I squinted at the scrawling to see in was a strange series of symbols, none of which I recognised. "I'm guessing you have also forgotten the Old Tongue. It reads, 'Blessed are the strong. Strong of body, strong of mind, strong of devotion. Your faith will ne'er break nor shall thy weapon.' How could I know of this script if this wasn't my dear brother's spear?"

"So you thought her important enough to send your brother and protector to help her and he also thought her important enough to give his life for her. Just who do you hail her as?" I was glad the sky-pirate was able to pose his sensible questions as my mind was beginning to struggle being bogged down with all these bizarre revelations that just didn't meld together with my unexpected jaunt to this land.

"She is of the same rank as I, a disciple of the Gran Kiltia Anastasis."

Okay, that's it! This has just crossed the line of absurdity. I had to put an end to this before any real damage was done and I was subjected to taking on the role of this young woman who these people were so rigidly believed I was.

"No! No, I'm not! Look, I'm real sorry but you've got it wrong. I can't be the same girl, you've made a mistake."

"Oh? What makes you so certain? You've lost your memory, have you not?" Balthier chimed in. I felt my hands flinch into fists. Just whose bloody side was he on?

"Edie, I know it may be a bit of a shock but this Kiltia knows all about you, perhaps you should trust what he says." Penelo placed a hand on my forearm in hope to quell my sudden outburst.

It would seem I was backed into a corner, there was no way I could prove otherwise that I wasn't who these Kiltia believed me to be. How long had I been dreading this moment? My eyes flickered from her concerned face, to her hand, to the grey stone floor.

"I lied."

"Lied? What do you mean?" I heard her ask, the hand that held my arm gave a light tug in hope that I would return my gaze to her rather than let it linger on the ground. My eyes stubbornly stayed focused on a crack that snaked along the stone and passed under our feet.

"About having lost my memory." I turned my head to finally face her, my hand grasping her. Doubt sparked in her eyes. "You have to understand I had just met you and the truth.. the truth sounds so crazy you probably wouldn't have believed it."

"You lied to us?" She said slowly as if she was still struggling to process my confession.

"I had to, Penelo. I saw no other way, I just wanted to find Kaiser and go home."

"So what's the truth? If you haven't forgotten who you are and you're not this Marishka San Costa, who are you?" Her hand slipped from mine.

"I… I'm Edie Navidson and I can't be a Kiltia disciple because I'm not from here."

"What? Mount Bur-Omisace?" Vaan's confused tone clipped at my ear.

"Ivalice. I'm not from Ivalice…I-I don't belong here."

A shocked silence gripped the air hard as the others no doubt fathomed the wild statement I had just made. Finally, the Bangaa broke the heavy pause, his smooth voice gliding over the harsh edge of the ridiculously sounding words I had spewed.

"His Grace did dream of your confusion, sister. He claimed magicks most foul have weaved fiction in your heart."

"What?" I gasped, feeling a hopeless frustration beginning to nibble at the tide of guilt. I whipped round to face the Bangaa once more. "If anyone's _confused_ it's you and your great Gran leader! I live in little village in the mountainside in a country called Spain- its language is the same as Rozarrian. My family and I have lived there for four years since we moved from my hometown in England- that's why I sound Archadian. I have a mother, father, brother, dog, boyfriend. I work in a little but very popular clothing boutique in the next town over. I travel there every day by moped. I live in the top apartment of a three storey apartment block with my boyfriend, Jorge and my dog, Kaiser. How can all that be fiction?"

"And just how did you come to be in Ivalice then?" The disciple innocently enquired.

"I- I fell through the back of a closet and ended up in one of the alley's near the Muthru Bazaar in Rabanastre." My eyes darted around to see my explanation did have much weight behind it. "See, I told you it sounded crazy but it's true and that's why I had to lie to you, you wouldn't have befriended me otherwise let alone trust me!"

"A motion I think we're beginning to regret." Balthier wisecracked.

"I never meant for it to go on for this long. It's just the more I lied, the more time that passed, the harder and harder it was to tell the truth."

"You really believe this, don't you?" The sky-pirate's playful tone had dipped into a more serious tenor. This was serious if the likes of him were concerned.

"Because it's the truth!"

"And that is why we have followed your movements since we learnt of your presence in Rabanastre. You had been missing for some time, you fled sanctuary without reason and we feared for your well-being. When his Grace did dream of your plight we had to be vigil to ensure your safety. He is adamant your confusion caused you to run."

"So let me get this straight: you think I'm Marishka San Costa, a dedicated disciple of this whatever religion this is whose memory has been wiped clean and been replaced with 'fiction' about another world?" He gave a slow, solemn nod. "How? Why? Who did this? To what point? If you knew I was lost and confused, why didn't you come find me and bring me back?"

"There are various possibilities as to why this has happened- The Light is testing your faith or punishing your ignorance, or you have had a powerful spell cast upon you. We know not how or why and we feared in your muddled state you would flee if we did come to your aid."

I began to rummage around in the little brown messenger bag that had been with me since I had unexpectedly fallen into this realm. My fingers hurriedly groped for a familiar object.

"Fine. If you really think this is some spell or Devine Intervention that's been meddling with my memories then explain this!" I whipped out the little red mobile phone and jutted it out towards him with a defiant flick of my arm.

"I know not what that is." His dark eyes slowly skimmed over the phone's form, a soft tint of bewilderment behind his gaze.

"Exactly. This is a device from my world. We use it to communicate to one another over different distances, much like you use communication crystals and messenger pigeons."

"I always wondered what that thing was. How does it work?" Vaan stepped forward and picked up the phone that was nestled in my open hand.

I had always known he had often rifled through my belongings, there was no such thing as personal items to a curious thief. He flicked open the little plastic item. Its screen stubbornly remained dark and dead.

"The battery died a long time ago. It needs to be charged with electricity so I can show you how it works. But basically you use these numbers to get in contact with another person who has the same device, each device has its own number."

The Bangaa shuffled forward a few steps towards Vaan in order to get a better look. The boy quickly handed over the phone. I watched as he turned it this way and that as delicately as one might handle a crumbling relic. After much scrutiny, he lifted his long head to address me.

"You cannot prove it works? Do you not think it may be a prop? A ploy planted amongst your belongings to feed the beliefs and false memories that plague your mind? It would seem whoever has been powerful enough to craft a whole new string of memories to replace your true ones would also be meticulous enough to stow things that feed those delusions." He held out the phone in return and I snatched it from his talons.

"Then who? Surely your know-it-all leader has 'dreamt' of the person behind this." I snapped.

"He cannot choose what he wishes to see, only what the Light feeds his gift."

"Well that's a pointless gift then, isn't it?"

"You will meet with him. It is clear your mind is closed to my words, perhaps it will be more accepting to His Grace's."

"Disciple, I too must meet with the Gran Kiltias. I have travelled long so that myself and Lord Larsa of house Solidor can speak with His Grace of matters of great importance." Ashe had quickly sensed the opportunity to bring up the real reason why we had travelled countless miles to be here- to prevent a war.

"But of course, you're arrival has too been foreseen. Please, come." He slinked past me and made for the towering stone steps that lead to the temple.

Ashe quickly followed. Penelo turned to follow. I had to make sure the damage my lying to her had caused wouldn't be a permanent mark upon our friendship or worse still be the end of it. I grabbed her wrist.

"Penelo. I'm sorry, I really wanted to tell you but-" She shrugged off my grip.

"We best follow, don't want to get left behind." Her voice was soft yet void of its usual cheeriness.

She turned and walked off. I watched her go noticing how the rough cotton cloak was too big for her delicate form, making her appeared all the more child-like. I ran a hand through my damp, tangled hair and muttered a curse. What the hell was going on? I moved my feet to trudge on behind the others, hoping the Gran Kiltia might have a better explanation than his subordinate had offered me.

There were over a hundred steps leading up into the majestic entrance to the temple. The doors were crafted of towering solid oak and securing them in place were immense and impressively engraved stone arches. At the mouth of the temple stood a little stout creature also dressed in Kiltia robes, a Nu Mou. He bowed to each of us as we passed him.

Once out of the clutches of the cold, we loitered in the temple's vestibule, a circular chamber that had three doors in its curve. The middle one was by far the most imposing. Its complex carvings were highlighted in gold and blue enamel and huge bronzed rings decorated each panel so that they could be hauled open. The two doors flanking it were smaller in scale and simpler in design causing me to wonder just were they led to. The chamber's ceiling was so high that it was difficult to see the eaves. This space caused our collective footsteps to echo in a repeated chorus.

"I will go forth and summon His Grace. I ask you will await my return here." The disciple said before he entered one of the smaller doors.

The musky hint of incense drifted about the air. We were told to remove our damp cloaks and other winter wear as not to smear ice melt and snow slush on the pristine slate floor. I quickly shrugged off the sodden garment and once more donned my bags. Weapons were also not permitted within the temple and those too were left with the young Kiltia that had started this whole mess. Finally, the disciple returned back through the same door. He approached the main door and he and the young Kiltia pulled the mammoth mass of metalwork to make way for us. The ancient structure groaned lowly in welcome.

"Enter with an open heart, an open mind and the Light will guide you." He bid bowing his head before stepping aside so that we could pass by.

As I stepped through into the temple's nave the first thing that I focused on was the warmth. It was wonderfully comforting as it embraced my wind beaten limbs and ice scorched skin. The scent of incense was all the more powerful. It laced the air in a sickly tang, its sweetness accentuated further by the smell of flowers. A quick glance around showed me that either side of the long stretch that lead up to the altar was water and scattered on its surface were large white water lilies. The temple's centre piece loomed up ahead, a colossal statue of a deity with many arms outstretched, within each stone hand burned a small oil lantern. The temple's alter was curved around the feet of the idol and there waiting patiently in front of it stood a withered figure.

I paced on quickly at the head of our rabble, the whisper of leather soles against stone weaving through the tranquil hum of silence. As I neared him, I noticed that the Gran Kiltia didn't seem to be a Hume. He was very aged. His face racked with deep set wrinkles, his eyes heavy and hooded and time had long leeched his hair of colour. The pointed, elf-like ears that protruded from under his snow hued hair were equally as leathery and were adorned with earrings of gold and blue. Long hands peeked out from under the heavy material of his finely crafted robes, they were elegantly laced together in front of him like entwined tree branches.

I paused at a respectable distance from him, my eyes still continuing to take in his form. He did indeed fit the guise of some great messiah, shaman or wise elder. Even now with all of us stood before him, he remained still with his eyes closed as if in prayer or on the cusp of nirvana. My mind stumbled over just what to say to him and in the growing silence my want to blurt out the obvious truth was grating at my nerves. Ever the ignorant, I overheard Vaan openly ask Penelo,

"Is he sleeping?"

"No, my child. I do not sleep." Answered a rich, disembodied voice. The Gran Kiltia hadn't moved when uttering these words. His eyes remained closed, his lips still pressed together in a sombre line. "I dream. For reality and illusion are a duality, two parts of a whole. Only the mirror of dreams reflects what is true."

"Then it did reflect a false truth." I piped up. The sound of my own voice was harsh, shrill even in the serene setting. Silence swiftly flooded the hall once again, a cue that he wished for me to elaborate on my statement. "I am not your disciple, Marishka San Costa. I am Edie Navidson, Your Grace. Your dreams were mistaken."

"Edie Navidson, she who hails from a foreign realm and passaged far all in pursuit of her dog, Kaiser. That is your dream- that is the false truth."

"Kaiser." I gasped, the debate of my identity cast back to the edge of my attention. I took another small step towards him. "You know of him? Have you seen him?"

"He is the truth is he not? The one you have been chasing."

"So I can get him and we can go home."

"He flees from you when he came so willing before, does he not?"

"He's scared, confused."

"Look upon to him and you will find your truth."

There was something about his words that echoed the sentiment that Elder Brunoa of the nomad tribe in the Giza plains had given me. Something that suggested he was supernatural, sinister. I frowned hard. I was tired of people being fearful of him, dealing out cryptic warnings and mistaking me for someone who I clearly wasn't. Annoyance flared in me once more.

"He's my dog, my pet. But it's obvious you think what I believe him to be is 'fiction' so why don't you come out and tell me. Just what do you believe him to be, Your Grace?"

"He is a Daemon, my child."

That word, it was familiar. My mind whirled as I attempted to place it.

"A-a Daemon?" I heard Penelo stammer behind me, confusion streaking her tone.

"Gran Kiltia Anastasis, you mean to say she is a Witch?" Larsa paced forward a few sharp steps until he was stood at my side, his look of shock no doubt mirrored my own. "I humbly disagree, that cannot be Your Grace."

"Yeah, Witches are nothing but fairytale creatures." Vaan snorted.

"There was a time past that that was once also thought of the Viera." Balthier snipped.

Daemon. Witch. Fairytale. _'Have you ever read the Orgain-Cent, Edie?'_

* * *

I did warn there would be plenty of confusion! :)


	37. Chapter XXXVII

Author's Note

I tried to be as quick as I could to update as I know I left more questions than I answered in the last chapter. Like the previous chapter this was a pain in the butt to write as I was wanting to explain certain things without 'information dumping' too much.

I don't take credit for the concept of the Witch race as I stole that from 'His Dark Materials' by Phillip Pullman tweaking and adding here and there so it fits better with the world of Ivalice and Edie's storyline.

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

* * *

**Chapter XXXVII: She's just like the weather, can't hold her together. **

"That.. can't be. I..." My words faltered and died off as I attempted to piece together just how the hell I was supposed to be this woman, this Witch. The silence that claimed the nave was heavy.

Witches were nothing but fiction. Though they were in the Orgain-Cent, the book was widely known as a collection of tall tales of a wayfarer who wandered Ivalice and wrote of all of its wonders. Like 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', their purpose was nothing more to entertain and build morals in the young and impressionable. So why was it a man of the Light was suggesting something so preposterous? And more importantly, why were the likes of the astute Larsa and Balthier seemingly accepting this nonsense?

"…I don't understand." I shook my head and retreated back a few paces until I fell once more into the throng of travellers.

As my thoughts continued to wade through what the creature before me had suggested and attempted to recall the tales of the traveller's encounter with the Witches, Ashe sensed it were an opportune moment to change subjects. She took a sharp step forward and addressed the Kiltia's leader with a clear voice,

"Anastasis, Your Grace, I am Ashelia-"

"Lay down your words. Ashelia, daughter of Raminas, I have dreamt your dream." He stated in the same soothing, incorporeal voice. "Who better to carry on the Dalmascan line than she who bares the Dawn Shard? Your dream of a kingdom restored in known to me."

Again with this dreaming drivel.

"Gran Kiltias, then give us your blessing." Larsa went forward another slight step so he was stood at the princess' side. The noise of the chamber's great entrance being hauled open again faintly registered in the back of my concentration. I was too busy wondering how much sway this holy man would have with the two nations at war. "Grant the Lady Ashe her accession-"

"I do not suppose this is something you might reconsider?" A brash voice interrupted. It was heavily accented the rolling of the _r_ in 'reconsider' was too exaggerated for it to have been the speaker's mother-tongue.

Heads jerked round to see stood half way along the nave's aisle was a man and a woman. Content his entrance had been made, the man strolled forward leisurely. The well-crafted and expensive leather of his boots making his footsteps sing out in the sudden silence he had created. The woman dutifully followed, hovering a few steps behind indicating perhaps maybe she was with him to serve rather than enjoy his company. He swanned through our group, who parted to allow him pass, without acknowledging our presence. As he went by I quickly took in his features.

He had dark hair that was artfully tousled to look as if he hadn't bothered brushing it, a sparse bit of scruff on his chin in the form of a goatee also added to his supposed carefree approach to his appearance. The thing contradicting this was the garb he was decked in. He definitely had money as all of it was exquisitely fashioned: a well-tailored black shirt, pristine white trousers that were decorated in leather work, a leather holster for a long barrelled gun and finally the most costly item on him, a pair of sunglasses.

"My little emperor-in-waiting. You called and I have come." He said as he made his way towards two royals who were still stood in front of the altar.

Larsa marched forward to meet him, hand outstretched in receiving. The man acknowledged this though favoured to greet the boy by affectionately ruffling his locks. Larsa breathed an irritated sigh and batted his hand away.

"This is the man I wanted you to meet." He turned to Ashe. "Believe it or not, he is a member of the noble house Margrace, rulers of the Rozarrian Empire."

"I am but one of very, very many." The noble dismissed as he paced forward to meet Ashe. "Try as I might, I could not stop this war alone, thus I came seeking Larsa's assistance."

He lifted a glove clad hand and plucked the sunglasses from his brow. With a showy swoop he held them out for the girl who stood obediently at his elbow. Her hands that had been neatly clasped in front of her quickly received the accessory before swiftly folding them so that they could hang from the collar of her blouse. All the while her head remained slightly bowed confirming she was his servant after all. Now his eyes were no longer masked by the eyewear I could see they were a dark brown colour.

"Al-Cid Margrace at your service. To think I stand before the Lady Ashe. It is truly an honour." He fluidly sunk to one knee and lightly took hold of her hand. He pressed his lips briefly against the back of her hand. "I see it is true after all. Ah, stunning is Dalmasca's desert bloom." He flattered in an almost cringe worthy display. Subtlety clearly wasn't this guy's forte.

Ashe was noticeably too stunned by his greeting to respond. If I hadn't been so distracted by trying to come up with an alternative answer for my current identity dilemma I probably would have cracked a smirk at the princess' discomfort at this shower of chivalry. Luckily, Larsa conveyed my feelings on the matter by huffing out a sigh that was a blend of annoyance and disgust at the man's antics.

"In Archadia, Larsa. In Rozarria, Al-Cid." Announced the Gran Kilitas, returning the conversation to the more important topic at hand. Al-Cid dropped Ashe's hand and gracefully got to his feet. "They dream not of war. Should Empire join with Empire, the way will open for a new Ivalice in our time.

"Ha! Gran Kiltias, you speak much of dreams but in the real world, war is upon us."

"Gran Kiltias, I was told my coming here would prevent this war. I was to assume my father's throne and announce the restoration of Dalmasca, treat with the Empire for peace, and persuade the Resistance to stay their hand. I have not come all this way to be asked to reconsider."

I guess Lord Margrace wasn't the smooth operator he clearly thought he was as it would seem our headstrong princess hadn't fallen for his charm.

"A word from you and the Resistance would stop cold and Rozarria's pretext for joining this war scattered, off to the four winds." Al-Cid confirmed, "This was what we had hoped. Alas, circumstances have changed. A full two years have passed since your reported death. Were it to become known you were still alive I fear it could only worsen our current situation."

"Because I am powerless to help." Ashe bitterly concluded.

I suppose it was true, sure she'd have her title, throne and kingdom back but little in the way of military power and not to mention many may still challenge the authenticity of her identity or argue why her absence was so long. It wouldn't stir up much patriotism in her subjects or people.

"Nay, in fact it has little to do with you."

"Then what?" For once Larsa wasn't aware of the current twist in events and I wasn't entirely keen on such a novelty. "If Lady Ashe were to extend her hand in friendship perhaps I could then persuade the Emperor. His Excellency will solve things peacefully-"

"The Emperor Gramis is no more. His life was taken." Al-Cid cut his words short stating yet another dramatic turn in this unwanted war.

"Father!" Larsa gasped, the single word so full of sorrow.

His chin drooped to his chest in hope to hide the tears that were brimming and threatening to cut paths along his cheeks. It went to show that no one was safe from the dangers of war, noble and pauper fell alike. Penelo quickly moved to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Let us suppose you approach the Empire with a peaceful resolution." Al-Cid addressed Ashe, stepping around the bereft boy before him with a fleeting glance of concern. "The late Emperor Gramis would have lent you his ear, that much is certain. But we are dealing with Vayne Solidor. Should the princess return, he would declare her an imposter. All to tempt the Resistance into battle. Vayne wants this war, that much is certain." He cast a glance back at the little boy who was this tyrant's kin. How could they be related yet have such stark contrasts in opinion on the matter? "As our ill luck would have it, the man is a military genius."

"The dreams had told me thus." Anastasias grimly confirmed. "To reveal yourself would imperil us all. I see war, and Vayne's name writ bold on history's page."

"Archadia's banner's fly high. They are making ready for the coming war." Al-Cid agreed. "According to our latest reports…" The servant quickly retrieved a piece of parchment from her a purse that hung from her belt. He snatched it from her fingers and waved it to his face in a dramatic display. "The Western Armada prepares for war, under Vayne's command no less. The newly formed 12th fleet has already been deployed. The imperial 1st fleet stands ready. They'll be under way as soon as the Odin's refit is complete. And there is more: The 2nd Kerwon Expeditionary force is being called in to replace the missing 8th, so there will be no gaps. The largest force ever seen!" Another stagy swirl of his hand that clutched the parchment was added for emphasis.

"And then…the nethicite is the coup de grace." Ashe was right, the war was a farce, nothing more but a show for Vayne to wield power that he still didn't truly understand and was not his. "Gran Kiltias, Your Grace. I spoke to you of my succession let us put that aside. Should I become Queen of Dalmasca now, powerless as I am, I can protect nothing. With a greater power at my disposal, perhaps then."

"It is the nethicite of which you dream?" He questioned, his lips never moved.

"I require something far greater."

Her words deemed grave enough for his eyes to snap open, they were dark and troubled.

"To wield power against power. Truly the words of a Hume-child." He spoke, this time not eerily projecting his voice but moving his lips. Though it echoed less, it was still smooth and calm despite the gravity edging into it.

"I am descended from the Dynast-King himself."

"Indeed. Then you have but once choice. Seek you the other power Raithwall left."

"Does such a thing exist?" Ashe gasped.

"Journey across the Paramina Rift to the Stilshrine of Miriam." He slowly untwined his hands and stretched them out, mimicking the looming idol behind him. "There rests the gift he entrusted to the Gran Kiltias of his time. Seek it out. The Sword of Kings can cut through nethicite… Why he would entrust the power to destroy nethicite, the instrument of his greatness to another and not to his own progeny, I cannot say."

It did seem strange but I suddenly considered house Solidor. Vayne was clearly the bad egg, the black sheep. Every family was bound to have one at some point in their rule, perhaps it was a safety measure just in case a descendant was a 'power-needy Hume' willing to dishonestly use the nethicite and cause unnecessary suffering.

"Awaken Ashelia B'Nargin and take up your sword, or your dream will remain but a dream."

Ashe heeded his warning with a solemn nod before turning. She regarded the grief-stricken boy at her side with a look of sympathy and paced off. As she passed me she paused.

"You will remain here."

"What? But you'll need Belias. I doubt that sword's been left unguarded." I blinked, slightly taken back by her order. I hoped she wasn't also irritated by my fibs.

The others of our group began to make their ways back to the vestibule.

"Though the task would be easier with his strength I am willing to pass it up for the time being."

"Why? Because I lied to you all? Look, I'm telling you they've got it wrong, I'm Edie!" I hissed. It seemed disrespectful to raise my voice in such a place and with a distraught Larsa stood not far off.

"It matters not to me who you are though it troubles me that the person who bears the Gigas is incredibly confused. You will speak at greater length with the Gran Kiltias and try to come by a conclusion to this matter. If you wish to continue to travel at my side it must trouble you no further. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Ashe." I sullenly mumbled feeling very much like a child who was being ordered into doing a chore.

Honestly, I didn't want to waste my time chatting about my supposed identity when I could be out there looking for Kaiser, helping Ashe in her quest and finally hightailing it home. She turned to go catch up with the others when I noticed Al-Cid, who had moved to also leave the nave, quickly seized Penelo's wrist as she walked by him.

"You, girl." Penelo spun to face him, shocked by his demanding tone and sudden grip.

"Hey!" Vaan barked and doubled back to defend his friend.

"How did you come by this?" His hand strayed from her wrist to the dragonfly pendant that hung around her neck.

"She didn't steal it if that's what you mean." Vaan growled.

"It was a gift from a friend. Edie gave it to me." She gestured to where I stood, still hovering near Larsa.

He followed her motion, his eyes hurriedly regarding me. There was a fair distance between us as the three were nearer the great metal doors. He dropped the pendant so it lay once more against Penelo's clothing and strode towards me in quick strides all the swagger and finesse he had oozed earlier had evaporated. He paused when we were face to face. Now that he was nearer I could see his eyes were wide in wonder and they were still flitting over my features as if I were some alien entity.

"I-" I was about to also declare I hadn't stolen the necklace when he quickly enclosed the space between us and did the last thing I expected to do.

He drew me into him, his arms quickly encircling me in a tight yet caring cinch. Not anticipating the contact my hands had come up and were now pressed against his torso, my head easily tucking under his chin. His warmth and the faint scent of leather, gun oil and anise that clung to him stirred something in my stomach.

"Eres tu, Marishka! Entonces fue verdad, todo este tiempo ti fue aqui con las Kiltia. (_It is you, Marishka! Then it was true, all this time you were here with the Kiltia._)" He breathed.

I was unsure what shocked me more, his sudden whip round in suave demeanour or the fact I had yet again been mistaken for this woman. I squirmed out of his grip feeling flustered.

"I-I'm sorry. I think you're confused, my name is Edie Navidson."

I had proclaimed this so many times I felt like I should have a t-shirt printed or something so I could stop wasting my breath. By this time the others had drifted back from the doors their interested roused by the affectionate display Al-Cid had dished out.

"You know her also?" Balthier queried.

"That I do, though admittedly much time has passed since I saw her last."

"From the looks of it you know her well. Who is she to you?"

The sky-pirate was like a goddamn dog with a bone. Seriously, he should consider a career change and take up the role of a private investigator.

"She was my beloved, my betrothed. The necklace was an engagement gift." He enlightened.

I heard Penelo gasp. This was beyond ridiculous. If I ever bumped into the doppelganger that I clearly had I was going to make sure she paid dearly for the headache this case of mistaken identity was giving me. I'd happily kick her ass, even if she was a Witch.

"How many times have I gotta tell you?" I growled. "I am _not_ Marishka San sodding Costa!" I turned to the young girl who was stood with the remainder of our group all of which seemed just as shocked as I was by Al-Cid's claim. "Penelo, I told you how that necklace was a birthday gift from my mum. Every time I passed that jewellery shop I used to stop and look at it and she got it for me for my birthday because she knew I liked it so much."

"I nay understand what she speaks of." Al-Cid was befuddled by my sudden outburst.

"The Gran Kiltias claims she has been hexed, magicks have warped her memory." Ashe informed him.

"I am to understand she has been with you, not His Grace?"

"She has travelled far with us, yes. At first she claimed to be ill of memory due to heatstroke though from what I gather she did lie to us as not to tell us of the memories that plague her. She trusts them to be too outlandish to be considered believable. The Kiltia disciple she is in rank with claims she did flee her duties here due to her confusion."

"This hex, it can be broken?"

"I know not."

"Perhaps a kiss from a valiant champion shall suffice. Isn't that the way of it in the fairytales?" Balthier tittered.

I shot him a dark stare which did nothing more but feed his smile further.

"Come, onwards. We make towards the Stilshrine of Mirima." Ashe ordered, sensing the conversation was skirting along the familiar grounds of bickering and snide remarks being fired between me and the sky-pirate.

They began to yet again make for the temple grounds. My hand rubbed my forehead in hope to be rid of the niggling confusion that was no doubt causing it to pucker into a sour frown.

"What of Edie?" My eyes snapped up from staring at my boots to look at the person who had posed the question. Penelo had lingered behind.

"She will remain here for the time being, to speak with those that know her so she might begin to piece together the truth." Ashe explained to her.

The young girl nodded and approached me. She reached up and unclasped the chain of the necklace before gently lifting my hand and placing it on my upturned palm.

"I think it best you keep a hold of this for the time being." She curled my fingers over the item so it wouldn't fall. My eyes darted up from my hand to look at her. Though it was small a warm, genuine smile graced her lips. "We'll be back before you know it." With that she turned and left with Ashe, leaving me behind with a crap load of questions I had to get to the bottom of.

"I must further speak with the His Grace and Larsa of the events that are upon us. I pray you will await me." Al-Cid requested.

"Sure." I shrugged.

Like I had a choice. I trudged back to the vestibule. I guess I would have to wait to question the Gran Kilita further on this whole mess.

When I entered the vestibule the Bangaa disciple, Mikel, ushered me through one of the smaller scaled doors.

"Come, you can rest whilst you await His Grace's council."

Beyond them was a labyrinth of corridors, which occasionally opened up into a cloister or chapel. After much wandering we ducked into yet another alcove where a small yet captivatingly carved oak door was nestled in an arch of stone. Mikel tugged one of its brass handles before motioning for me to enter. I stepped into what looked to be a solar. The room was a good size and had many homely elements within its grey stone walls. The first thing I noticed was the hearth, which kicked out a friendly warmth thanks to a recently lit fire. The young Kilita from earlier was bowed down and fanning the flames to feed them further.

"Clem, leave us now. Do fetch some tea." The youth abandoned his duty and hurriedly exited, bowing to each of us as he passed.

I paced forward, my eyes taking in all the living quarters had to offer. There was a small desk fashioned from darkly stained rosewood, which currently had various scriptures and rolls of parchment unravelled along its length. Quills, paper weights made of Sunstone, inkpots and looking glasses were scattered along the papers in an organized chaos. An ornate oil lantern sat on one of its corners was spilling out weak fingers of luminance upon the desk. It's flickering picked out the bookcase that towered behind it. Thick leather bound volumes fought for space against tightly bound scrolls. My eyes continued to roam and saw that tapestries depicting scenes from the Kiltia's religion decorated the walls. Rugs broke up the slate floor, the largest of them which had a low, cast iron table sat proudly upon it. There was only one window set high up the stretch of the wall in a simple, small arch. There was also another smaller set of oak doors, which were open to reveal a bedchamber. I noticed stowed on the bed was my messenger bag and backpack.

"You do not know this place?" Mikel's curious tone interrupted me from my observations.

I stood near the desk, the musty smell of old paper emitting from the books and scrolls was comforting.

"Am I supposed to?" I picked up a quill fashioned from a Garuda feather, turning it this way and that so the light would ripple across the golden tones weaved amongst the cream.

"These are your quarters." I glanced about once more. Mikel must have noticed the doubt that crept across my expression as he gestured at the table upon the rug. "Be seated, Clem will return with the tea shortly."

I complied, carefully placing the quill back in its place before moving to fold and sit cross-legged upon one of the cushions that were scattered around the table's round form. The Bangaa also seated himself, taking time to arrange his robes as not to crease them. I knew why he hadn't left yet I was still making heads and tail of the matter, I wasn't sure if I was ready to play twenty questions with him.

As if on cue, the door was opened once more, allowing a gust of chilly air to briefly battle against the warmth. The young Kiltia, Mikel had addressed as Clem entered with a bronze tray brimming with tea things. I was amazed how smoothly he carried and placed the tray down upon the table as nothing rattled or clattered. He bowed yet again before vanishing back out into the maze of corridors. Mikel unhurried went about straining the tea. Its pungent aroma was familiar.

"Blood tea?" I asked, accepting the bronze cup.

"With these harsh temperatures it's always wise to ensure the blood doesn't slow." He took a sip of the piping hot mix. I mirrored him, chocking back a cough at the tea's sour taste, this blend was far more potent than the one Fran had brewed earlier. "Interesting, the memories affect your tastes too."

"My tastes are different because we aren't the same person." I narrowed my eyes and lowered my cup.

"I can see this upsets you so… Edie. Perhaps while you wait to speak with His Grace I can be of aid. I can endeavour to answer the best I can the seemingly trifling questions surrounding you."

"Fine."

"I pray you heed all with an open mind." He placed his cup on the table. He lazily allowed his eyes to wonder my features. I shifted on my cushion slightly, uneasy by being scrutinized. "Have you ever read the Orgain-Cent?"

"Parts of it. I have a copy with me."

"Then you know of the folklore of the Witches."

"Yeah. Most of them are tales of Hume men falling in love with them. They say that if you met a beautiful woman on her own late at night, chances are she was a Witch. There's also the saying 'Hell hath no fury like a Witch scoured', as men who rejected their affections were often swiftly ended." I took another swig of my tea, the tart liquid attacking my tongue and throat. "Why didn't you just come out and say I'm supposedly a Witch and Kaiser was my Daemon?"

"It was not my place. Moreover, you challenged all I said to you."

"Because none of it makes any sense."

"It does not?" He pondered, the talons that were toying with the cream hair of his long beard fluttered from its length and slowly reached forward and lightly tapped one of the black claws on the metal cuff on my arm. "What of this?"

"It's nothing. A prisoner cuff I had put on me in Nalbina, every one down there had one to stop the casting of magicks."

"Yet I am sure you are able to summon the Mist despite its nullifying properties."

"It's probably just faulty. We managed to get them off easy enough when we escaped and the prison ward mentioned it was made of some cheap by-product of nethicite so I guess the Imperials should maybe spend more time developing a better restraint."

I could tell he didn't agree with my musings as his beady eyes bored into me, a faint hint of intrigue glazing them.

"May I?" He turned my wrist over to inspect the metallic splodge that had been crudely welded over the bracelet's fastening so it was impossible to open again.

"Sure. I never really bothered to get rid of it seems as it doesn't affect my magicks."

He waved his claws over the offending lump of metal. The make-shift seal heated up until it glowed red. I fidgeted a little as its harsh heat was beginning to radiate through the cuff and cut at my flesh. Just as I was about to voice my discomfort, he quickly switched spells, blasting the same spot with ice magicks. The metal easily shattered due to the swift change in temperatures. The original fastening was once more revealed and Mikel's nimble talons quickly unpicked it, allowing the cuff to gape open. I lifted my arm. My wrist felt lighter, slimmer without the chunky metal clasping it. I looked the shackle over noticing the inner side of it was decorated with a thin, glassy layer of dirty blue, it must have been the nethicite by-product. The Bangaa made a noise of interest and picked up the open cuff as delicately as if it were an egg shell.

"So you think it to be defective?" He flicked back the thick sleeve of his robe to reveal his wrist and encircled his limb with the cuff. It snapped shut with a loud click. He gestured to his cup. "Shall we see if it hinders my own casting abilities? I will attempt to freeze the tea." My eyes flickered from the little bronze cup to the cuff.

"Sure." I lifted my shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

He once again swept his hand out to push the magicks upon their chosen target. I waited for the dark water to turn cloudy with chill before solidifying, for frost to creep across the dull bronze, and for the steam that curled from the cup to stop and die. Nothing happened. I glanced up at him. He tried the manoeuvre once more and I shifted my attention back to the target yet it remained unchanged. Mikel lowered his hand, another hum of intrigue coming from his throat.

"As you did note earlier, my magickal abilities are quite profound and yet the cuff still managed to overpower them and stay the spell. It appears not to be broken."

"So what, you think this is some kind of proof?" I snorted.

"It certainly gives a strong indication."

"And that's enough to declare me as someone I'm not?" I laughed humourlessly.

"Very well, then tell me of your marking." He brushed the long sleeve back into place so it once again covered his red skin and the cuff that remained to decorate it. He lifted his still hot tea and took another swig. I frowned and looked down at my hand. He must have seen Belias' mark when he freed me of my shackle. "That is not the mark I speak of, sister. The one upon your shoulder."

"This?" My fingers drifted across the darkened skin that was partly covered by my little metallic waistcoat. He nodded. "It's sun damage. I was in an accident in my realm and a good few layers of skin was scraped from my shoulder. When it had healed and the skin was new I ignored the nurse's advice to keep it covered up and put a strong suncream on it and the summer sun burnt it pretty bad. Ever since I've had a dark circle on my shoulder." I explained.

The circle covered the curve of my shoulder. It looked like as if a collection of freckles had bled into one another and merged in a splotchy mess, often making me regret not heeding nurse's nagging.

"Think upon all of the tales of Witch kind, what are the stories main themes?"

"Love and war." I answered somewhat confused on where he was going with this.

"The fables of war- the great Clash of Clans- tells of how Witch clans were long ago formed by bloodlines and heritage. Each clan has its unique marking so that they are identified under a certain rule. Markings often appeared as scars and birthmarks that marred a visible place upon the Witch- the face, hands, neck, sh-"

"You think this isn't sun damage, that it's a clan brand?" I scoffed.

"What of Kaiser?" Mikel continued his challenging my beliefs, my remarks remaining disregarded. "Did it not seem to you he was leading you here?"

"If he's leading me anywhere it's out this mess, away from Ivalice and back home. He isn't a Daemon, he's a dog who is lost and confused."

"And when you finally have him how will you return back to your realm? Pass through a door in a back alley?"

Annoyance was starting to taint my patience once more. I opted for a different argument in hope to gain some ground on this discussion.

"If we're using some fairytale book as context to all this rubbish then the stories say that there are many tears in the Mist that separates us from other realms. It was just dumb luck I fell into this place."

According to the Orgain-Cent, the Witches often used the Mist to pass from their realm, The Forgotten Lands, to others like Ivalice in search of lovers and mates. If the tales were indeed reality perhaps a Witch had passed through and I had somehow stumbled through afterwards.

"Ah yes, the Mist. It has been the source of fascination for men of faith, men of science and storytellers alike for centuries. The traveller did relate that like the Viera, the Witches could see it. Do you see it, sister?" My silence was all the answer he needed. "Now do you understand why it is I believe you to be my fellow disciple who we knew to be a Witch? Every seemingly strange thing about you adds up to such."

My mind was whirling once more. Though it did support his argument I was still adamant that it couldn't be true. How could everything I believed to be true be a fabrication forged for some purpose or punishment still unknown? There had to be another explanation as to why I was being confused with this woman, this Witch. Maybe it was just a terrible case of mistaken identity or perhaps we had switched places in the two realms as a result of a magick casting gone awry. If the latter was the case I pitied poor Marishka having to spend her time slogging away in boutique I worked at and endure the monotony of my everyday life. I decided to switch tactics and opted to learn more about the woman I was being hailed as. There was a lot I didn't know and a lot that didn't make sense.

"…But why is a Witch a follower of the Light? They have their own religion don't they?"

"Yes, they pray to Yambe-Akka, the goddess of death. Not surprising really as they're a race whose lives are greatly shaped by their lifecycle. Marishka didn't speak to us of her past, we know not what caused her to remain in our realm and adopt our beliefs."

"Witches have a shorter lifespan than a Humes, why would she waste it finding god?" I pondered.

"For repentance, for inner strength, or perhaps like all of us here she saw the way of the Father and wanted to channel the good of the Light to aid others." Mikel's tone was slightly snipped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just they live until they're in their forties and that's if they're lucky enough to have survived battles so why would she suddenly shun the need to strengthen her clan by not focusing on taking a lover and having a child?"

I thought of Al-Cid Margrace. She clearly had enchanted him enough for them to be betrothed why suddenly back out and flee to holy grounds to a religion that wasn't even hers?

"I cannot say, though we knew her to be a Witch, she spoke little of her heritage and even less her past."

"Then why bother altering her memories? If she didn't speak of her past, it seems like she didn't want to remember it. This religion was perhaps a distraction from them. Why would it be a test or punishment if she was rid of something she probably wanted to be rid of to begin with? It doesn't make sense…"

"It pains me to say that I know not. The Light works in mysterious ways."

I tried to keep the unenthusiastic look that was threating to seize my features at his last uttering. If that old excuse was being used in argument to claim that my memories weren't real, then I wasn't swayed. Yet I really wasn't in the mood to wade into a religious debate and so kept my mouth shut. The silence stretched out, the tea was slowly drunk.

"You have travelled far and have much to think on. I will allow you to retire and leave you to your thoughts." His tone was polite as he rose from his cushion and bowed to me.

I clumsily bowed in return, the gesture feeling foreign and silly. He left, leaving me with only the hiss and crackle of the fire for company. I sighed and hauled myself to my feet. My limbs were heavy from the trek up the mountain, causing my steps to be lethargic as I trudged into the bedchamber. It was much more cramped than the living quarters as again many books and scrolls were stacked in bookcases of various sizes. Dotted on top of them was the odd flickering oil lamp. It would seem the Kiltia didn't care for the harsh glow of the light crystals. The bed itself was of a four poster style and a good size. The dark wood of the posts had carvings curling up their lengths and from them hung heavy drapes to keep out the cold. They were currently pulled back revealing the abundance of quilting and pelts that made up the lush looking bedding. I allowed my hand to press down upon them to test their thickness and the softness of the mattress underneath. It was wonderfully plush.

I smiled and seated myself on its edge before rummaged through my belongings. The medic bag wasn't amongst them. The others had no doubt taken it with them on their quest to claim the Sword of Kings. I pulled out the thick leather volume with gold script etched down its spine. The Orgain-Cent. Now seemed like better time than ever to refresh my memory on the myths of the Witches.

I flicked through the pages reading tales such as 'The Maiden Fair be a Witch' and 'Clash of Clans'. In these stories the traveller had come across a woman being attacked in the dead of night, after saving her she offered herself to him in thanks. Her beauty and charm captivated him and he followed her to The Forgotten Lands and became her lover. At the time of his arrival to the clan's kingdom, a war was raging between Clan Cloudborne and Clan Treelow and he took up arms beside his lover in battle only to see her brutally slain. With his Witch dead the clan rejected him, believing he was far safer if he returned to live among his own kind in a realm that wasn't being strangled by war.

According to the Orgain-Cent's stories, Witches are a race solely of woman who possess many magickal abilities. They live in clans and each clan is ruled by a Clan Queen. Unlike traditional monarchy schemes, the title isn't inherited but instead the queen is elected. She governs the clan to the end of her days and so is denied a lover and the chance to bear a daughter. Lesser Witches are allowed to take a lover and will often pass through the chinks in the Mist to realms such as Ivalice in search of a mate by posing as Hume woman. Once they are with child they will return to the Forgotten Lands to birth and raise their progeny. Due to Witches only being female, they only birth girls. Each clan has a clan brand, a mark often on a visible part of the Witch's body that distinguishes them to a certain clan.

Their magickal abilities are beyond that of Humes and are much more like that of the Viera as they can see the Mist and it fluctuations. The most interesting magickal phenomenon is a Witch's Daemon. The spirit, the inner-self, the essence of a Witch takes the form of an animal that will remain with them always. Upon the Witch's death the Daemon will return to the Mist. No Witch can live without a Daemon and vice-versa as the two are the same being, the same entity. They can travel great distances apart though often do not feel at ease until they are reunited. Some even say that when apart this weakens a Witch's magicks and is why a Witch will never go to battle without her Daemon.

The more I read the more ridiculous the notion of me being one these creatures became. I yawned and stretched out on the bed, my head resting on the thick pillows before picking up the book once more and continued on, ignoring how heavy my eyes were becoming.

* * *

I awoke slowly. The comfortable bed and the warmth thanks to the thick bedding were threatening to lure me back to sleep. I fought off the urge by stretching, a yawn breaking free from my lips. I suddenly noticed a blanket was restricting my stretching due to it being draped over my body. I lethargically rolled from my usual sleeping stance of being sprawled out on my side to lie on my back. The material twisted further around my limbs. It was then I suddenly noticed I wasn't alone. The unexpected presence caused what slumber filled sluggishness that clouded my mind to quickly be banished from me. I snapped up into a sitting position, my eyes widened at the person who was sat in the wooden wingback chair wedged in-between the bedside and yet another bookshelf.

"I did ponder the possibility I had lost you to dream's call until the morrow's light and yet here I have remained." Al-Cid was sat with as much laid-back poise as I would expect for one as impeccable as him. He had one leg loosely crossed, the ankle resting on his knee, his arms draped on the arms of the chair, head cocked slightly to one side. "'Tis only fitting I suppose, you did await me."

I continued to stare at him dumbly, wondering how long he had been sat at my bedside whilst I dozed.

"What time is it?" I mumbled attempting to free myself from the clutches of the covers.

I glanced up at the little window set up high on the bedchamber's wall. A dim grey light came through, proving it difficult to tell just how long I had slept.

"The 11th hour of a new morning."

I had slept through what had been left of the afternoon and well into a new day without waking. I knew I had been tired from my journey here but I guess the appeal of a comfortable bed had tempted my body to savour in an uninterrupted rest.

"You've been here all this time?" I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, noting I had slept with my boots on.

"No, no my meeting with His Grace did take me into the night's keep. I had thought it discourteous to wake you at such an hour and so delayed until morning." His hand lazily lifted and smoothly rolled in a gesture that conveyed the passing of time as he spoke. I suddenly noticed in his other hand was the Orgain-Cent. He saw my eyes flicker from him to the book. "A woman grown and still she revels in fairytales." He chuckled closing the book and holding it out to me in another seamless motion.

"It's just research." I mumbled, receiving it and pacing out into the living quarters.

I ran my free hand through my hair feeling crumpled and untidy in his well-turned out presence. He followed me pausing to loiter by the fireplace. The embers of last night's fire were still faintly glowing under a grey blanket of ash.

"You did say such a thing of a book on the dark magicks and t'was the time last I saw you, Marishka." He stated, the usual flare in his voice subdued.

I placed the Orgain-Cent on the already cluttered desk and looked over my shoulder at him.

"I'm not Marishka, Al-Cid." I turned to face him fully, tucking a stray section of hair behind my ear with fumbling fingers. There was something about him that caused that flustered feeling to begin to flutter from my stomach once again. "My name is Edie Navidson. I've been travelling with Lady Ashe since the attack on the Leviathan and all because the only friends I've had the fortune of making here in Ivalice wanted to help her and go along for the ride. I'll stay with her and until her succession because of this." I held out my hand that was adorned with Belias' glyph.

A curious frown graced his face and he moved to stand in front of me so he could see the brand clearer. His hand gently grasped my wrist and drew my hand nearer to him so he could get a better look. My heart unexpectedly stuttered when his fingers curled around me.

"The mark of an Esper?"

"Belias, the Gigas that served the Dynast-King."

"Gigas, Witches, dead kings and a valiant princess it sounds fitting enough to be a tale in that book of yours." He smiled.

"I'm not a Witch. This Marishka may have been but I'm not. I'm just here to help Ashe and look for a way home."

"The Bangaa disciple did enlighten upon to me the extent of your…predicament. Do you truly remember nothing or is this a charade, another means of escape from the gods only know what?" He sighed affectedly, his free hand tenderly placed upon my upturned palm.

The feel of the affectionate gesture was jarring, what was worse a familiar sense that was a blend of nerves and eagerness was stirring in my chest.

"I-I know it must be hard that she left you.. but I'm sure there was a reason."

"For a time I knew not. I had thought perhaps I was the reason and so did nay follow. The disciple did say you spoke not of your past which seemed odd. Never once did you tell of your true lineage to me and so I believe your learning the truth of your race was the reason behind your leave-taking."

"You never knew Marishka was a Witch?" I blinked.

"Not until my time here." A brief pause claimed the air as his eyes dropped to look at his hands gripping mine, a faraway look behind his stare. "Mayhap when all of this be through you might return to Rozzarria with me. My house, with some persuasion, will accept that you did leave to study the way of the Light."

"..I don't think-"

"They do push me to wed." His eyes snapped back up to look into mine. "'A man of twenty and seven and without a wife!' my beloved elders do bleat. I cannot wait for you much longer, my dear."

"Then I hope for your sake this whole quest goes quickly so Marishka comes back and I get to go home."

"This insistence of yours." He shook his with a wry smile.

"It's not 'insistence', it's the truth." I sharply retracted my hand from his. "If I really was Marishka and we really had been together than give me proof."

"Proof?" He rolled the word over his tongue in musing.

"Proof that I am who you say I am. Proof we were together. A necklace and your word isn't enough."

I had witnessed him putting the moves on Ashe so if he and my counterpart in this realm had really been that serious why did he seem to flourish in the company of women? Had he always be such a Lothario or was it that with his household urging him to marry, Ashe seemed like a respectable replacement for Marishka?

"Proof." He hummed, a hand rubbing contemplatively at his goatee. "Very well. You do have a beauty mark upon the curve of your lower back." The hand that was at his chin moved to lightly ghost down the dip of my waist as he spoke, his fingers snaking around my right hip to brush along my lower back.

His unexpected touch and unwavering gaze caused my breath to catch in my throat. His hand hovered where the mark did indeed exist, the feel of his fingers penetrated the thin material of my dress. My eyes widened at his claim. How the hell did he know that? I was too dazed by the whole thing to notice how much my heart was suddenly thrashing and how that flustered feeling was morphing into something far more troubling. If he noticed my shock, he never let on as he calmly continued.

"This you've had always, you claimed it to be a birthmark." His other hand trailed up my ridged arm until his fingers brushed the dark circle on my shoulder. I could feel a pesky heat burn at my face. A smile suddenly pulled at his lips. "A blush will only grace your cheek for but a few things." His hand strayed from my shoulder to my face so he could lazily stroke a thumb across the colour that had abruptly bloomed there. "Anger. Frustration. Embarrassment. Lust. The latter being the more frequent culprit. All that was needed for your cheek to redden was a few words whispered.." The thumb that had been making tender tracks across my cheek trailed gently to trace the shell of my ear. "..a few kisses laid on the length of your neck.." His hand moved from my jawline to teasingly drag his fingertips down my neck. My skin prickled, pulse soared and breathing became shallow at his touch. My mind and body were locked in a sudden war, one relying on reason the other fuelled by a longing that I couldn't explain away. "..A pause to lightly nip the curve in your neckline." His touch brushed along my collarbone. My breath hitched.

"Stop." My hands quickly grasped at his arms to still his movements. I was well aware how breathless the voice I had posed the command in sounded.

He obeyed yet his hands remained upon me, one on my lower back, the other at the dip of my neck. There wasn't much space in-between us and I again noticed the faint scent of anise on him.

"Proof enough?" He asked quietly.

I let out a shaky breath not trusting myself to speak knowing the hoarseness in my voice would only betray my words. What was wrong with me? I didn't even know this man- I hadn't particularly liked him thanks to the way he came flouncing into our hearing with the Gran Kiltias and yet.. Everything he had said had been true, which worried me to no end but instead of focusing on this more prominent problem I was stuck fighting off the urge to close the slight distance between our bodies.

Al-Cid seemed very much aware of my worked-up state as he drew closer, bowing his head so that his lips could brush against mine. His kiss was soft, unhurried as his lips lingered upon my own. Whatever resolve remaining in me quickly crumbled upon the feel of him against me. It was so strangely familiar. I moved my hands that still awkwardly clung to his arms to weave fingers in his hair as he gently nipped at my bottom lip in want to deepen the kiss. I submitted. My lungs grew tight at holding in a sigh of pleasure as our tongues met. What little rationality I had remaining swiftly abandoned me as my mind went foggy unable to only concentrate on how well we seemed to meld together. A distant rumble rolling through the temple grounds did register on the fringe of my focus though it was easily forgotten as the tenderness lacing our movements slowly was blooming into something far more heavier, passionate. My fingers lightly tugged at his hair, a moan rasping out, muffled somewhat by his lips. My attention was so wholly placed on him and that wonderfully comforting feeling of familiarity that I failed to notice the faint ruckus becoming harmonized with far away frightened tenors. Even the creak of the solar's door being swept open went unnoticed.

"Discupleme, señor Al-Cid. (_Pardon me, Lord Al-Cid._)" A quiet, girlish tone did however deem enough for me to snap back to the now and swiftly shrink back from Al-Cid's embrace.

He breathed a sigh edged with annoyance at the disruption and looked over his shoulder at the servant that stood in the doorway. I quickly smoothed out my dress whilst willing the rush of my pulse to slow. I glanced at the young maid hoping she hadn't noticed how quick my breaths were coming out or how bruised my lips were from our kissing. She seemed very unnerved, almost frightened. The reverberations of explosions and howls of fear were no long far off and faint.

"Es urgente? (_Is it urgent?_)" Though irritated by the intrusion his tone remained smooth and amiable.

"Si, mi señor. Los militares de Archadia están aquí con dos Jueces. Han venido para señor Larsa pero uno de los Jueces han dar ordenes para atacar las Kiltia. Le dicho que ellos fue ayudando esconderle. (_Yes, my lord. The Archadian military are here with two Judges. They have come for Lord Larsa but one of the Judges gave orders to attack the Kiltia. He said they were helping him hide._)" She spoke quickly her tongue rattling off the words as her eyes remained respectfully cast the floor.

"Maldición! (_Damn!_)"

"Y el Gran Kiltias? (_And the Gran Kiltias?)_" I brushed past the man before me a knot of dread twisting hard in my stomach.

"Perdóname, no lo se, mi dama. Hay mucho confusión, mucho gente están luchando y muchos mas herido. (_Forgive me, I do not know, my lady. There are many people fighting and many more injured._)"

"Mikel, Clem- all of them. I have to go see if they're okay." I dashed out of the quarters and entered the infinite maze of the corridors.

I heard Al-Cid shout after me though this did little to slow my steps. I ran, breaths rattling in my chest, boots hitting the stone floor hard as I attempted to make way in the labyrinth. The coil of corridors unexpectedly opened up into a large cloister. The many rows of stone arches that edged the colonnade, gave a view of a beautiful winter garden. In its centre stretched up a mammoth pale bark tree. Its twisting branches boasting clusters of blossom, snow laced the tree's form in speckles and heavy clumps and at its roots, fending off Imperial soldiers, were two familiar figures.

I sprinted towards the wrought iron gate that was the garden's only entrance. The wonderful design of its metalwork had been disfigured as the footmen had broken their way in. The snow was still falling, the thick flakes raining down in an unhurried drift. My footsteps crunching crisply in the thick carpet of white caused one of the drones who was observing his two fellow comrades attack the monks to whip his head round in my direction.

"Halt!" He drew his sword in a flash of steel. "Stay where you stand, girl. You're to be arrested."

"Under what terms?" I snarled, my eyes to the base of the tree where Mikel and Clem were still warring with other two Imperials.

I saw the snow was stained with spilt blood. I could feel myself shaking though I knew the biting cold wasn't the only cause, it was the rage I felt that such a haven had been defiled.

"Harbouring a runaway lord and conspiring against the Empire. All Kiltia are to lay down their arms and swear fealty to Archadia."

"But they won't. Bur-Omisace is impartial, the Kiltia cannot choose sides!"

"Hence our persuasion." He sneered as he advanced. "Now are you going to comply or do I have to raise my sword?"

I had no weapon. I lifted my hands, fingers spread wide. His smirk grew wider and he paced towards me. As he went to seize one of my wrists probably to slap a shackle on it, I hurriedly twisted from his grasp, ramming my shoulder into him in hope to throw him off balance. As he staggered back, my hands snatched at the hilt of his sword. He recovered quickly, a hand flying from the sword's grip to grab a fist full of my hair. His hold was strong and the pain of having my head wrenched back stunned me for a moment. Before I could even plan to break free and blast him with magicks an ear-shattering shot rang out. A warm spray of blood splattered across my face and the hand that had a fierce hold of my hair weakened its grip though didn't release me entirely. The soldier sunk to the ground a wet gurgle bubbling from his mouth, dragging me to my knees also. I clawed at his gloved hand, wanting rid of it and soon came free from his slackening grip.

The two other men snapped their heads round in the direction from where the shot had been fired. Another bellowing crack, another swiftly fell, his throat ripped open. The now lone soldier charged towards the newer threat. Stood just past the garden's gate was Al-Cid, cracking open the barrel of his gun with a flick of his hand to void it of the empty cartridges. The maid that stood at his elbow offered forward two replacement rounds. He loaded the gun with ease, taking little notice of the soldier rampaging towards them, sword raised and ready. In a flash he snapped the barrel shut, aimed and took his final shot. The soldier had managed to rattle off a protection spell which took some deal of the blast yet it still managed to knock him to the ground. With him clearly winded, no doubt struggling to breath thanks to a few broken ribs, Al-Cid strolled up to him. The Imperial sluggishly swiped at the boot that was placed on his chestplate to pin his weakened form to the ground. The gun's blast ripped through the grounds once more as the fatal shot that Rozzarian lord fire quickly stilled the man's movements and tarnished the snow further with blood.

With the threat banished he made his way over to me with sharp steps bowing down somewhat to offer me a hand to help me to my feet once more.

"You are in one piece?"

"Yeah." I nodded grasping his hand and pulling myself up from the snow and the gore. I looked over at the tree to see Clem was slinking an arm around Mikel's waist in order to support him. I dropped Al-Cid's hand stumbled through the snow to reach them. "What happened? Are you okay?"

I noticed a large blot of blood staining his robes above his knee.

"Worry not of me, you must hurry to His Grace. He is in danger. Take my brother's spear… it is clear the gods do not think its work through yet. Use it to defend the Gran Kiltias from harm." Mikel answered in a voice tight with pain.

He gestured to the weapon with a nod of his long head. I followed its motion to see that it was stowed upon a slab of dark granite held proudly in place by two large decorative bronze clasps. A quick glance around showed that various other weapons were showcased in this way in a large halo around the tree. This was the Garden of Guardians. Mikel must have been laying his brother's spear to rest when the Empire came storming through here. I lifted the spear from its place before turning to face the two once more.

"I won't be able to find to the main temple quick enough, all the corridors look the same."

"Clem, lead the way to the Hall of Light and be swift."

"But Disciple Mikel you be injured and-"

"Go, boy!" The Bangaa growled, a clawed hand pushing him away.

Clem nodded and took off with myself, Al-Cid and his maid in pursuit. We tore through the passageways, breaths steaming out in fluid plumes. The vestibule was littered with broken bodies, cries of pain and panic echoing in its chamber. I snatched a glance beyond the temple's entrance to outside to see a Judge and a mob of soldiers ushering away a boy down the long flight of steps.

"Larsa!" I hollered, dashing to move to the stone steps. The youth whipped round and hurriedly doubled back, pushing past the guards, Judge Zargabaath on his heels. My hand's instinctively tightened their grip on the spear in my clutches. "Larsa, what's happened? Why have they done this?"

"It is my fault." He said softly, his tone remorseful. "I did flee Gabranth's charge to travel with you here. When they learnt of my location they sent the Alexander to come fetch me back to Archades. I am truly sorry."

"What of the other Judge? I see but one before me." Al-Cid pondered as he paced down a few steps to my side.

"Judge Bergan, he was the one who started this travesty. He thought the Kiltia were hiding me here, plotting to aid the rebels and others who oppose the Empire's want to rule."

"Where is he?" I asked feeling anger well up within me.

"Last I did see him he was leading his men into temple's grand chamber." The smooth voice of the Judge proclaimed.

"Then go in there and haul him out! I doubt he's gone in there to pray!" I snapped.

"I am nay his keeper. You should consider yourself fortunate I haven't taken up arms along with him. Come, Lord Larsa, let us leave." Zargabaath laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. He nodded his head heavy with defeat before uttering a weak,

"I am so sorry." He turned and began descending the stairs with slow and heavy footsteps.

Panic surged in a hard wave within me. I spun on my heel and quickly climbed the few steps I had descended to meet with Larsa so I was once more in the vestibule. Clem hovered nervously at the great metal doors. He and I yanked open the door to the Hall of Light and we burst into the holy nave only to jerk to a stop. There before the altar, clad in the typical black armour of his rank, was Judge Bergan. My eyes paid little attention to him, they were to the frail figure that he held aloft by its throat.

"No!" I shouted, my frightened tone ringing sharply in the great expense of the hall.

The Judge slowly turned his helmed head to regard us. My feet moved once more as I urgently wanted to close the long stretch between us so that I could free the Gran Kiltias from his death grip. Even though I was had only made it to midway in the aisle's stretch I heard it, the sickening snap of bone. The long elegant hands that clung loosely to the Judge's armoured forearm slackened and dropped to his sides, the sleeves of his robes fluttering down to cover them. His head slumped forward, the headdress among his snowy hair clinking softly at the movement.

I slammed to a stop a wail of anguish grinding out through my clenched teeth as I watched the Judge finally release his grip from around the Gran Kiltias' neck. The lifeless body fell to the floor in a fluid swirl of blue and cream robes. My heart clenched hard, its pain scraping through my tightened chest, my lungs struggled to draw breath and the stinging prick of tears attacked my widened eyes. My legs felt as if they could no longer bear me and I clung desperately to my spear in order to keep me sagging to my knees. I barely registered Al-Cid's touch as he placed a hand on my back in a comforting gesture yet it did little to calm the storm of sorrow and rage that swelled in my heart.

"Why do this, Judge Bergan?" He asked, his voice far cooler than mine would have been.

"Pitiful fools, revering false gods over the true power of man. Their faith be their ruin and I be the one who delivers upon to them their inevitable castigation. You too shall not be spared such fate Rozarrian churl, those who conspire against the true ruler of men are destined to perish!" The armoured soldier delivered the speech with such vigour and belief his tone.

He turned to face us fully, a long and lethal looking sword held effortlessly in his black gloved hand. I jolted forward a step, my breathing erratic from the fury that was quickly grinding away all sense from my consciousness. I didn't care what he was harping on about. I wanted nothing more to crush him, rip him limb from limb only stopping to remove that stupidly elaborate helmet from his head so I could see the life slowly drain from his face as I did so. He tilted his head slightly, a murmur of amusement coming from his helm.

"You will burn." I vowed darkly.


	38. Chapter XXXVIII

Author's Note

Just wanted to say sorry I take forever to do updates it's just some days I can plough through writing like I'm addicted the next I get bogged down by procrastination. In the meantime if you do get bored while waiting for me to hammer out another chapter why not check out my other fanfictions? I currently started a Walking Dead one after I finished reading the comics. Although be warned that it will have even slower updates than this as I really try to focus all my writing time on this.

A big thank you as always because this has been going since 2009 and people are still sticking with it! That makes me one happy bunny. :)

Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

I don't take credit for the hymn used as it's obviously the Hymn of the Fayth from FFX. I wanted to use it because it's such a beautiful hymn. If you've never heard the fan cover by youtuber katethegreat19 I strongly suggest you go watch it, it's such a wonderful version!

* * *

**Chapter XXXVIII: Holy water cannot help you now, see I've come to burn your kingdom down. **

If he had heard the promise I snarled at him he gave little indication and merely stood there, the Gran Kiltias crumpled and still at his boots. The once sweet air of the nave was being soiled by scents of smoke, scoured earth and blood. It fed my rising fury. I shifted my grip on the spear, whipping it round so I was stood in a battle-ready stance.

"Marishka, let us not be rash. My shot is strong though I fear it will do little against his armour and skill." Al-Cid warned lowly and with a quick tongue so the foe before us wouldn't catch snatches of his words.

"Then stay back and out of the way. I'm going to show him how strong the power of man really is." I muttered, jaw tight, eyes narrowed with intent and never straying from the armoured threat in front of the altar.

I strolled forward.

"Yes, do come meet your fate, girl. Like a babe to the slaughter. Only then shall you bear witness that your gods offer no solace in your final breaths and that you were thus foolish to shun true power." He chuckled, his free hand outstretched in invitation.

I walked on, shoulders held ridged, heart smouldering with hate. Never in my life had I ever wanted to make another person suffer so much as I did now. I felt the escalating heat of my loathing burn into a brighter blaze. The air surrounding my form became dry, rippling heat-waves blurring my edges. The fiery temperature was pulsing through me, its power coiled tight and intense like the heartbeat before an explosion. The Judge noticed, his attention suddenly snared by the magicks. I paused a distance from him, heat raining from me.

_Belias, come._

The beast rushed from me in a raw flash. He stretched to his full height at my side, spear in hand. Out of the corner of my vision I noticed Al-Cid and his maid had their heads tilted back to take in the towering bulk of muscle beside me.

'_What would you wish of me?_' His deep growl rumbled through my head.

"Help me destroy him."

'_As you do bid_.' He nodded before lurching forward in a mass of ferocity and fire.

The sound of the hall's entrance being dragged open was followed with the clatter of heavy armour in motion, steel singing in a chorus as swords were hastily drawn. Whatever was left of the Bergan's entourage had just flooded into the Hall of Light.

"I will keep them at bay." Al-Cid called, turning and taking aim at the newer threat.

With Belias clashing against Bergan and Al-Cid battling the rest, I bowed my head and drew up magicks to keep them from harm, to feed their strength. I drew up each spell quickly only pausing in my aid to rattle off the odd blast of fire or ice to keep the two Rozarrians from being swarmed by the Empire's soldiers.

A feral roar ripping through the air caused my head to snap round to look upon the Gigas. A gaping gash snaked slantways across his chest, the wound spilling blood and showing the muscle that lay beneath. They stood apart for an instant before colliding once more, sword and spear, armour and fire. The motion seemed to aggravate the cut and it wasn't long before his mane and broad torso was red with his own blood. I pushed a curative spell upon him, the magicks binding his open flesh. He swiped at Bergan with a large clawed hand.

As expected the Judge was accomplished in battle and yet I couldn't help but marvel at his strength as he seemed to match the Giga's blows with ease. The Mist was fast flowing around him, though there were no spells supporting his body- how could such strength solely be his own? I decided I'd best act before he began to gain the upper hand. I flung fire magicks at him, wanting to heat the metal of his armour so it would singe his surcoat and sear his flesh. I wanted to melt that helm of his while it still decorating his arrogant head. The very thing that protected him, the armour that he had no doubt spent countless years of toil to claim was going to be the death of him. Belias swiftly switched his attack, belting out that almighty hellfire so it could lend its heat to my own onslaught.

I awaited his howls of pain yet instead the Mist around him became all the more charged. It seemed to absorb the powerful blitz licking at his armour, diminishing its devastating power before irradiating it entirely in a soul shaking surge. The Gigas snarled in anger at the trick. He backed up a few steps so that his frame would shield me from any sudden attacks from our enemy. I peeked past him, my hands flinching into vices around the bamboo of my spear.

"What was that?" I gasped, my eyes rapidly darting over the man stood calmly before us.

It was then I saw it, a ghostly apparition shadowing the Judge. I had seen it before when Mrjn was possessed by the nethicite. So this was the true power of man? To be a puppet to some sinister spectre?

"Belias, be careful! His strength isn't his own. Something's making him powerful."

'_Good, a challenge._' He grunted before he sprang forward to lock weapons with the Judge once more.

I returned to raining down magicks upon our threat in a never-ending shower. Belias was too quickly losing ground to him. Nerves began to bite at my bloodlust. Shots echoed out at my back. Al-Cid was still warding off the wave of footmen. This wasn't good.

I whipped round deciding we couldn't keep up the stamina of taking on two enemies separately, back to back.

"My ammunition grows sparse!" Al-Cid hollered over the boom of a shot as I skidded to a stop at his side.

The maid offered forward another two rounds as he cracked open the gun. She was ducked behind him, no doubt he had shoved her back there to protected her further from the enemy's rain arrows and magicks. However, in the same instant he made his shot she stepped out from behind him and cast a fire spell upon the slowly falling horde. I quickly mirrored her. Armour glowed red, the smell of burnt hair and flesh perfuming the air in a foul incense.

"The Gigas?" He cracked open the gun's barrel again, his free hand flicking a section of hair from his eyes.

"He won't last long at this rate. Bergan's power is coming from manufacted nethicite. We have to hurry and attack him together!"

Another shot of flames I summoned caught one footman that was weaving through the rabble towards us square in his chest. Relying on simpler magicks was consuming too much time and I could already feel my body becoming weak thanks to my magickal stores being abused due to having to also pause in my magickal arsenal to heal. I wished I had that damn medic bag.

As Al-Cid quickly took out a soldier who had dashed forward with his sword swinging, I delved once more into the Mist, this time summoning a much more potent spell. The air in the midst of the mass crackled as a dark sphere rapidly began to swell. It expanded at such a rate that it engulfed most of the military men before just as quickly shrinking, leeching life from them as it went. It erupted in an implosion of darkness leaving in its wake more bodies littering the floor than standing.

"A gravity spell, impressive." He snapped out his hand in want for more bullets.

"No hay mas, mi señor.(_There is no more, My Lord._)"

The remainder of the squadron rushed forward, swords raised.

"Estupendo.(_Fantastic_.)" He sighed, switching to magicks.

With that an immense roar racked with pain ripped through the din. I jerked my head round, breath stammering in my lungs. Bergan's sword was burrowed into the beast's middle. Belias folded to his knees, a low growl rattling out as he reached out a clawed hand to grip the blade. The black talons scratched shallow rivets in the metal as he sort his grip. He yanked it free not seeming to notice the blade was biting deep into his hand. His breathing was laboured, his chest heaving as more blood spilled upon the slate floor from his torn gut. He flicked the blade away from him with a twitch of his hand. I had never seen him so exhausted and beaten. He moved to rise yet his footing was compromised by the blood slick ground and he crashed to his knees once more, spearhead biting into the slate to stay him. Bergan's crack of laughter cut through the beast's rasping breaths.

"Ha! Wretched creature, allow me to end your suffering- break your bonds to your feeble master." He swung the twisted broadsword, swooping it up in an arc so it would hack at the thick chords of muscle that were masked by Belias' damp mane.

The blow landed with a crunch, the sword cutting into to curve of his neck. Belias cried out in bark of agony before summoning his remaining strength to swipe at his foe with his unmarred clawed hand. The Judge skittered back, rolling to a stop on the floor near the altar. His weapon still remained anchored in the Giga's neck.

"Beilas!" I dashed towards him.

He slumped forward further, his human hand that gripped the spear tightened its hold in hope to keep himself upright.

'_Forgive me… I have failed you_.' He managed to push out between unsteady intakes of air.

I stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his arm noticing how limply it hung at his side. I couldn't ask him to continue on, it would be the death of him and he hadn't yet served his true purpose- to fight for Ashe. Bergan was scrambling to his feet. Belias was gone in a swirl of heat, retreating back into me. The pole of my spear suddenly radiated a burning warmth. I glanced down to see my bamboo spear had shifted into his grander weapon.

'_Slay the bastard with my spear in my stead._'

"I will."

I strode forward, putting myself between the Judge and his blood smeared sword that had fallen to the floor. I waited for him to draw closer before unleashing my attack. Nerves were scaling my bravado threatening to tear it down. I let out a shaky breath and whipped the spear round at him. The ornate yet hefty spearhead raked along the armour that decorated his shoulder as he attempted to swerve around me to get at his weapon. I tried to block his path once more only for him to bat me aside like I had been niggling bug. I stumbled, my boots desperately seeking grip on the blood slick slate. I flung a burst of fire at his exposed back yet the Mist around him lessened my attack once more. I charged at him, wanting to ram the spear's blade into his turned back. I was too late. As I brought down the weapon with all my power upon him he whirled round, broadsword warding off my spear. The crash of our weapons meeting was enough to throw me off my feet. I scrambled to keep my balance before quickly whipping away, a flash of fire as my cover. He didn't give me chance to slip away a good enough distance, quickly surging forward, sword sweeping in a deadly curve. I blocked the attack, the ash pole of Belias' spear juddering as it absorbed the blow.

There was no way I could keep this up. My arms were already tight and heavy from fending off his assault and as much as I endeavoured to put some distance between us he was too swift. He knew the close quarter combat was grating down my defence and my nerve. I scuttled back and away again yet he relentlessly kept hacking at the spear that was my only defence. I managed to get a few swipes in here and there but they did little to slow his maddened drive.

As spear locked against sword once more, I saw it- the ghoul feeding his power appeared in a creepy shadow, eyes glowing. What the hell was that thing? Bergan thrust his might against me with so much force that I staggered back, sword and spear finally parting. I moved to whack at him yet he effortlessly knocked my weapon aside, his blade flicking round to drag across the skin on my dominant arm. Pain erupted down my limb momentarily deadening it. I clutched at the pole with my remaining hand, lifting the spear to protect myself from another blow. His great sword came down with such strength that the fire-treated ash splintered and shattered, the heavy spearhead clanging to the floor. My eyes grew wide in fear, breath snagged in my throat. Such power!

His sword didn't pause in its assault as it artfully switched directions and swept down upon me in a blur. In a flash of panic I cast a protection spell though it did little against his seemingly ever growing strength. The jagged blade cut me from collarbone to rib in a diagonal slash, even managing to open up another gash on my already injured arm as it finished cutting its path. The force of the hit sent me spinning to the sticky slate. I slid along the ground, the momentum carrying a good few feet and scraping away skin from my uninjured arm, legs and cheek as I went.

I lay there a moment my mind alight but my body sluggish and not complying with any simple command I was screaming at it. I sucked in a breath only to cough and splutter, the coppery tang of blood dancing along my tongue. I heard Al-Cid's frightened voice shout that damn name. He must have moved to come to my aid as Bergan sent a devastating fireball into the air to rain upon them. A noise of dismay croaked from me.

It was then I caught a glimpse of it, the spearhead. It was no longer in the guise of the Giga's weapon and instead had reverted back to its normal form. The simple blade glinting dully in the orange light that illuminated the aisle thanks to Bergan's flare spell. I urged my body to move. It did though not without shuddering with a stinging pain that rampaged through my tightened chest. I coughed again, blood spilling from my lips.

Content Al-Cid was indisposed, the Judge returned his attention upon me as I continued to slowly drag myself across the aisle to the spearhead that lay against the decorative wall. He watched me struggle for a few long moments before leisurely pacing forward, sword held casually in one hand. His boot harshly nudged my hip so I was rolled onto my back, forced to look up at him. Though it caused pain to snap my movements short my fingers still blindly fumbled for what remained of my weapon.

"Now do you see of what I speak? Death is no gentle caress, no merciful touch that frees you from your woe. All who oppose the Empire and its foreseeable rule shall suffer it's clutches in a bloody end, beginning with you, my dear."

My fingers brushed against the cool of the spear's blade. I wrapped my fingers around it and inched it closer so I could get a better grip. With it finally in hand, my eyes ablaze with hate, blood-stained teeth bared, I thrust it up at him with a defiant jab.

"Fuck…you!" I managed to spit out in-between heaving agonised gasps.

I noticed how the charm Penelo had crafted danced furiously, swaying from side to side. An amused sneer rolled from his helm. My hand was trembling in effort to keep the scrap of metal aloft, the pain was becoming too much to bear.

He hoisted his sword above his head and smoothly brought it down to deliver the final blow. I flinched. The sword never found my battered body.

A harsh clang of steel ran out. Hands carefully pulled me back and away. I frowned, my mind numb thanks to the hurt still bombarding it and the loss of blood. Basch and Bergan were sealed in a stalemate. His axe had saved me from the Judge's deathblow. The others were hauling me back and away from the two warriors to sit me up against the wall framing the aisle.

"Nice.. timing.." My voice was thin, the exertion of talking bringing more blood up from my raw throat.

My cheery greeting went unacknowledged by Penelo who was knelt at my side as she hurriedly dug around in the medic bag. Basch parted from the Judge and moved back. Ashe stepped to his side.

"Ah, our vagrant princess." Bergan said, his attention flickering from the man who had interrupted his slaying to the young royal stood at his side. Her eyes were to the body that lay unmoving before the altar, her fists clenched. "Swift has your lust for revenge led you to the Sword of Kings. You will surrender it to me. Too late and to their sorrow do those who misplace their trust in gods learn their fate." He strode forward, the entity possessing him revealing itself in a ghostly swirl before just as swiftly fading. The Mist grew heavier and became visible, whorls of unnatural blues, blacks and greens blurring his armour.

"There it is again." Vaan gasped.

"Fran, I don't like the look of that." Balthier stated lowly to the companion at his side.

"This Mist- he holds a stone! It controls him as it did Mjrn!" Her ears were snapped forward, eyes wide in that spooked dear look that was only ever followed by trouble for our group.

"No." The Judge darkly laughed. "No, the power of manufacted nethicite is the power of man! A weapon forged by his wisdom who would challenge the gods themselves! A fitting blade for a true Dynast-King. Raithwall did but pretend the title. A cur begging nethicite scraps from his master's table. Hark! Ivalice hails her true Dynast-King, Vayne Solidor! He shall defy the will of the gods, and see the reins of history back into the hands of man. His time is nigh! The new Ivalice holds no place for the name Dalmasca." The hand that had been held out as he prattled on drifted to the grip of the smaller sword that hung from his belt. "The stain of Raithwall's blood will be washed clean from history's weave!" He roared, freeing the sword from its sheath.

Ashe drew her sword also, her eyes narrowed in a withering stare. The group quickly fell into their well-practiced formation.

I couldn't fight the light-headedness that was clouding my mind any longer and surrendered to unconsciousness, lolling to the side so I slumped on the slate floor on my uninjured side.

* * *

Penelo finally had located the item she sought. It was an elixir, a powerful healing potion. She fumbled to tug at the cork stopping it. The sound of slow dragging steps greeted her.

"Go to the aid of your group, they will be in need of a medic." Came a smooth voice, hitching now and then in hurt.

She sharply turned her head to snatch a glance and saw Al-Cid limping forward, supported by his maid who seemed unscathed.

"I can't leave her in this state, Lord Margrace!" She quickly returned her attention to her blood-splattered friend who lay bleeding on the floor, fussing over her.

"Worry not. I shall see to it she is mended." Penelo dithered. "Go. I will keep her safe."

She nodded and handed him two vials she had pulled from the leather satchel. He stooped to receive them and folded to his knees at the girl's side, the maid helping him before backing off a respectable distance. Penelo snatched up the medic bag and scampered off into the fray.

* * *

I woke with a gasp as my lungs were finally able to draw in a decent breath once more. A sour taste laced my mouth, a Phoenix Down had no doubt breathed life into me. My chest and arm no longer stung though a dull ache did lightly throb where the deep cuts had opened my skin. I blinked a few times, my eyes to the grand ceiling of the Hall of Light. I was on my back, my head being propped up by a hand gently cupping the back of it. Al-Cid knelt over me a trace of worry in his dark eyes.

The crash of swords suddenly jerked me from stupor. Judge Bergan was still warring with the others. I pulled myself up, my movements clumsy. I managed to get to a sitting position before Al-Cid grasped my shoulders to still me, shaking his head.

"The potion was strong, though I fear you are still weak. Be still."

"No! The others-" I squirmed in his clutches, ignoring the warning stabs of pain that were pricking my chest.

"Are apt enough to handle the matter. Please, Marishka, be still."

"I'm not bloody Marishka, get off me!" I weakly clawed at his hands, wanting them to loosen their hold.

"Then why did this upset you so?"

"A man was killed in front of us, how could I not be upset?" His look of concern deepened. My hands grew still as I suddenly realised as to why he was looking at me in such a way. Tears were beginning to slowly spill onto my cheeks. "He.. He was going to explain all of this mess… He… was going to help me." I said in a voice thick with grief.

"I am sorry, my dear." He moved to gently pull me into an embrace, my head tucking under his chin.

I clung to him as I tried to explain away the heartache that had suddenly engulfed me.

Bergan was soon slain. His battered body cracked and burst as that evil looking spirit fled from its host in a violent heave. I broke away from Al-Cid's arms. Though he didn't protest my getting up this time, he did softly weave his fingers around my wrist, causing me to pause. I looked down at him.

"When Larsa did ask me to meet with him here to discuss matters of this fast approaching war I had hoped so much that all the hearsay were true- that you were here- so that I could see you again. I had sought to convince you to return to Rozarria, hoping you would accept such invitation…" He sighed heavily, his eyes breaking from mine to look upon the altar where the Gran Kiltias still lay. "Sadly, that will not happen now. I played the fool to think as such." He chuckled forlornly.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly, unsure of just how to reply.

His fingers moved to take my hand, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on the back of it. Unlike when he had performed the act earlier with Ashe, there was no drama gracing his movements and no flurry of flattery to accompany it. His lips left my skin and his head dropped slightly as he breathed another dejected sigh.

"As am I." He looked up at me. "I should not have let such time pass to come for you. Perhaps another day, when all of this is done and gone, I will persuade you to return to me, pajarito." His hand left mine.

"What did you just call me?" I blinked, shock seizing me.

"Pajarito, little bird, because you sing so well." He explained. He hadn't missed my look of surprise as he went on to ask, "You do recall my calling you as such?"

"No. I guess I must have misunderstood you." I lied. I knew exactly what he had said and that he had called me this as a pet name. Jorge often had used the term of endearment and for the same reason. Jorge…

Al-Cid's voice caused me to once more shift my focus.

"Until time we do meet again." He brought his hand to his chest and dipped his head, once more back to his usual showy self.

"Cuidarse.(_Take care._)" I returned, warmly.

"Y tu tambien.(_You too._)"

I turned and staggered my way up the aisle slightly taken back how weak I still was. A glance down showed that angry pink slashes adorning my pale skin marked my arm and collarbone. I wasn't fully healed. I limped on taking in how defaced the once beautiful nave was. My eyes drifted up towards the statue, it too had taken a beating. One of its many outstretched arms had been hacked short. The Gran Kiltias was sprawled at its feet. He looked far frailer now, blanketed by his voluminous robes, his withered face serene even in death. Anguish began to beat within my heart all the harder.

"Edie!" Penelo ran to me a fretting frown in place. "You shouldn't be up, not until you're healed." She placed a hand on my shoulder in hope to still me. She noticed my eyes hadn't strayed from altar, the tell-tale tracks of spent tears that had cut through the dried blood and dirt decorating my face caused her to pause. She turned to look over her shoulder for a brief moment. "Here." She gently slinked an arm around my back and offered the other for support as she guided me to the altar.

I crumbled to my knees before the Gran Kiltias. My vision was blurring again with brimming tears that I didn't allow to fall. Why was I so upset? I hadn't known him. Penelo pushed a section of hair that was matted and damp with blood from my face. Her touch was tender and radiating with reassurance, it moved to my shoulder. My hand covered hers in thanks at such a gesture.

The faint echo of the other's footsteps stirred me to quickly wipe away the would-be tears by a clumsy swipe of the back of my hand. Ashe sunk down to one knee at my side.

"He set his very his very bones about him with nethicite." Balthier did inform us of the departed Judge with a tone of disgust as he approached. "The Gran Kiltias?"

Penelo shook her head, probably not wanting to say it aloud do to my sorrowful state that I was trying so desperately to keep under wraps. The last thing I wanted was a breakdown in front of my fellow travellers, especially when the reason as to why I was feeling such grief eluded me still. The young girl suddenly gasped and snapped her head round to look back at him.

"Wait- what about Larsa?"

"Gone. Spirited away by Judge Gabranth." Al-Cid was on his feet once more, his maid helping him shuffle towards us.

They turned. Vaan, Ashe and Basch quickly pacing off to meet him. Unable to walk any further, he slunk to the floor, the maid carefully assisting so he was sat with his back against the wall.

"So he was here." Basch muttered.

I hadn't seen the Judge when we had come across Larsa, perhaps he had securing the way upfront so Larsa would have a safe passage through the turmoil that had gripped the temple's grounds.

"As for our young lordling, he went along- to avoid trouble, you see. But Judge Bergan had other ideas. He flew into a rage and we were left to defend ourselves." Ashe took a step closer, stooping down. He turned his head. "Please, princess you must permit me to take you back with me to Rozarria."

"So that you can protect me?" Her voice was sharp. Knowing Ashe and her want to prove that she was capable she had probably found the offer to be belittling.

"I would lay down my life at a single word to be sure but I harbour no maundering delusions of valiant grandeur. Vayne has our war pavilion jumping at shadows. They favour for a pre-emptive strike. But you- you will convince them otherwise. You will see that they do not start this war."

Had this been the intention of his charm offensive earlier or had it come to plan when he and Larsa were discussing matters but a few hours ago? Either way, I knew to ask Ashe to do such a thing was pointless. She wouldn't accept, it wasn't a part of her grand quest and side tracking to deal with this would cost her precious time.

"This I cannot do. Forgive me. But my errand here is not yet done." She rose, determination set about her features "I must wield the Sword of Kings, and with it bring an end to the Dusk Shard."

Al-Cid pushed out a sigh tinged with disenchantment.

"This stone. Do you even know where it is?"

"I can venture a guess." Balthier's smooth voice rolled through the brief pause. He strolled towards them. "The Draklore Laboratory. In Archades. The Empire's weapons research begins and ends there." He stopped in front of Ashe. "How soon do we leave?"

"At once." She turned back to the Rozarrian at her feet. "As for matters in Rozarria, I bid you luck."

Al-Cid hauled himself up, his maid steadying him.

"So you would leave each to fend for his own. Let us hope you are not disappointed." He turned to hobble away yet he paused, a thought coming to mind. "Ah that's right. Larsa left a message. 'The difference between our lands will fade before the shared dream of men'." Though the last time I had come across Larsa he hadn't asked Al-Cid to relay such words it sounded very much like something the youth would say. He had no doubt mentioned this when they were together before the attack. Al-Cid plucked the pair of sunglasses that still hung from his maid's blouse and slipped them on before addressing the group once more. "My leave, I take." With that he limped off.

I knew I should have pulled myself to my feet and prepare to leave so that we could continue on yet I remained knelt at the Gran Kiltias' side. Approaching footsteps and the rustle of heavy robes caused me to finally lift my eyes from the body laid before me. Mikel, Clem and some of the Nu Mo approached. Mikel smoothly folded to his knees, his previous leg injury absent from his movements.

"I…"

I was at a loss as to what to say to him. This was my fault. I had gone about the whole ordeal in such a stupid way. If I had kept a level head instead of thoughtlessly charging at Bergan in hope to free his victim of his chocking grip the outcome could have been very different. Though the Judge clearly couldn't have been reasoned with, I could have easily had got him to refocus his madman antics on myself, riling him up so he would focus all that bloodlust on me instead. Not to mention I had committed the error of entering the battle with nothing more but anger fuelling me, the rashness pushing me call bad decisions and overestimate my own skill.

I turned my head to look upon the Gran Kiltias once more, frowning hard in hope to quell the waterworks which were starting up again.

"Now I do understand his last words to me. He did say, 'My dreams, too, fade into day.' He did dream his own end."

"And he said nothing? He.. He didn't even try to stop it." My voice was cracking in my attempt to keep the tears at bay.

"It must have been inevitable.. we are, after all, victims to fate."

I didn't buy that one bit. Dreams, fate and blind faith just didn't seem to cut it in this war.

"What will happen now?" I sniffed.

"He must be cleansed so that his spirit can meld with the Light. It is a sacred ritual performed only by the Gran Kiltias' disciples."

"I.. My group has to move on, to Archades."

"A Gran Kiltias only choses two disciples, they act as his followers, students and family. I fear I am not strong enough to perform the ceremony unaided, sister." His hand took my own. My eyes trailed from the floor to look at him. His robes were ripped and speckled with blood. "I know you still think all of this nonsense but look upon your sorrow. Why would you feel it if you had not known him?"

"It's not like that.." I mumbled, shaking my head. "This was my fault. I wasn't quick enough, strong enough, smart enough. If the others hadn't had shown up when they did Al-Cid and I would have also have died because of my anger."

"You think this guilt then?" He sighed. "I cannot force you to stay with us but I beseech you to make the ritual with me so His Grace may go peacefully to the Light and that you shall not regret this when your memory is mended."

The Nu Mo went about carefully lifting the Gran Kiltias' body onto a gilded litter and then draped a length of raw silk in an inky blue shade to shroud his form. After a lengthy pause I executed the slightest of nods, my submission fuelled by the want to make amends and rid myself of this woeful feeling that smothered me.

"I need to speak to the princess." I lurched up from the floor.

Penelo doubled back from where the group still lingered, halfway in the aisle's stretch. She pulled another vial from the medic bag.

"You're still in a bad way, take this." I accepted the potion with thanks and gulped it down despite its bitter taste.

"What will you do now?" She asked.

"Mikel says there is a ceremony, a type of funeral I guess, it is the disciple's responsibility to perform it. I must stay for a while longer." I looked over at Ashe who had overheard my explanation.

"Do you still wish to journey with us?" She asked.

"I have to."

"Do not feel obliged because you host the Gigas. Though his power would be an asset on our travels it can be excused under such circumstances."

"I would never hear the end of it if I stopped him by staying here. Besides, I still need to find Kaiser and return to my own realm. I think the only way that can happen is if I continue on."

"You did not find the truth of your identity convincing enough?"

"I never really got the chance to hear a proper explanation. Just suggestions and speculations." I shrugged.

"Very well then. We will prepare for travel and await you."

I could tell it had been hard to give in to such a request as the want for us to make haste was obvious in her demeanour. They were ushered away further into the temple to some unused quarters so that they could rest whilst they waited my return.

I was led back to my own solar by Clem who was even more soft-spoken than usual.

Before the hearth sat a brass bath filled deep with piping hot water, two elderly women swathed in thick Kiltia robes stood either side, one holding a pail the other a comb. I paused and turned to question Clem yet he had quickly retreated out into the corridors.

"For the spirit of His Grace to be cleansed, you first must also wash from you the waste of war, sister." The crone with the pail informed catching my puzzled look.

A glance down at myself showed I was a mess. Dried blood encrusted my skin, ragged slashes striped my dress where Bergan's sword had landed and soot stiffened my hair. I suppose she was right, I couldn't exactly rollup to such an important ritual in this state.

They handed me the bronze pail and the finely made comb of wolf bone before leaving me. I sighed and went about ridding myself of the rags that had once been clothes and stepped into the bath. The warm water had been scented with oils that smelled as sickly sweet as the incense that burned throughout the temple. I went about washing and scrubbing my soiled skin until the water was cloudy with dirt. A thick length of linen was draped over a small wooden clotheshorse before the fireplace so that the fire's heat would warm it. I plucked up the towel and tightly wrapped it around me as I went in search of something suitable to wear.

I hadn't needed to search far as laid out on the four poster bed was a Kiltia robe. Its design was exactly the same as the one Mikel wore and there was a headdress to match. I would have hesitated to put on such garments as I wasn't exactly the most religious of person yet the nipping cold from being away from the fire stirred me to move. I quickly donned the outfit and used the linen to dry my hair some before combing any remaining tangles out. The headdress was difficult to secure into place but after much fiddling I managed to get it to nestle on my crown without it moving.

Leaving my quarters, I was whisked away along the cluster of corridors to stand before another engraved door. Mikel was already there his head bowed as if lost in his own thoughts. His dark eyes were glassy with sadness. The doors were slowly pulled open to reveal a chamber. It was small yet beautifully lavish. Instead of it being decked in the Kiltia colours of bronze and blue, pristine white marble fashioned thick pillars, stretched along the floor and moulded the altar in the chamber's centre. The only colour gracing the chamber was weaved through the embroidery of thick linen drapes or engravings in the stone work. The flashes of colour were a shade of pale gold as if to symbolise the Light itself.

"This is the Hall of Harmony, where the dead come to be cleansed so that their spirit can return to the Light." Mikel explained in a soft voice.

I watched as the door on the opposite wall of the hall was drawn open to allow the many Nu Mo to enter, carrying aloft the litter. The navy length of silk fluttering slightly with the movement, its rippling made it appear like water that had been disturbed by a light breeze. They carefully laid the litter onto the altar.

"The ritual requires both disciples to play equal parts- one to symbolise the power of the mountain, earth and corporeal things, the other to symbolise the strength of faith and spirituality."

The Nu Mo came forth, two of which each held polished golden platters. They stopped before us to offer up the items. One platter held a large bunch of long incense sticks. The other had a pale gold sceptre that had divine pictures painstakingly etched into its length and from it hung many delicate charms fashioned from clear blue crystal.

"One to cleanse him with Mist, one to cleanse him with the Light, so that Faram the father will witness all that he has wrought in his corporeal time and all he shall receive in the hereafter." He bowed to the Nu Mo before him and moved to take the staff. I mimicked him and plucked up the chunky bundle of mustard coloured incense. The servants retreated back out of the doors they had entered. "You will summon the Mist and sing the hymn of mourning."

"I.. don't know the hymn." I shook my head, the headdress clinking softly at the movement.

"You mean you've haven't yet come across it on your travels here? It is a common song. A hymn used to grieve any soul may he had been crowned head or commoner, man of the cloth or man of the sword. It is only ever sung in the Old Tongue which is why many do not know its true words...

_'Ieyui_

_Nobomeno_

_Renmiri_

_Yojuyogo_

_Hasatekanae_

_Kutamae_.'" He spoke the strange string of words slowly spacing out each syllable and allowing pauses in the lyrics.

"What does it mean?" I fiddled with the incense sticks, their scent was already scolding the back of my throat and they hadn't even been lit yet.

"It be an old verse but it roughly translates to:

_'Pray, saviour._

_Dream, child of pray._

_Forever and ever_

_Bring us peace.'" _He noticed my eyes widen as the words rolled from him.

It was that damn melody I had heard weaved throughout the mountain winds! I had thought it had just been my brain fizzling out due to hypothermia. No wonder the rhythm that he had spoken that strange jumble of words in seemed somewhat familiar. I just didn't get it. Forgotten hymns, identical terms of endearment and strange feelings lurching from my heart unintentionally, it was as if things were becoming blurred- where did Marishka San Costa end and I begin?

"Come. Now is not the time to dwell on confusion, sister." He moved towards the altar.

We stood opposite sides of the dais facing one another as long moments of silence slunk by. I was aware that this was a reflective pause before the cleansing began, to remember the Gran Kiltias before honouring him. Though I knew little of him the only thing I could focus on was the guilt of not have being able to stop his death.

Eventually, Mikel lifted his head and gave a slight nod. I moved to a lantern and brushed the tips of the incense along the waving fingers of flames until they caught alight. With them now smouldering and slowly spilling out a rich, musky smoke, I returned to my post and began to sing. Mikel soon did the same. His low voice wove around my own pitch, complimenting it in its contrast.

As the hymn came from us he began to sweep the staff over the shrouded form, pausing now and then to shake it with an elegant flick of his wrist. The crystal charms rattling softly seemed to punctuate the verse, giving it rhythm. I slowly moved the incense so that its smoke would waft along the body before me. I concentrated on the Mist, calling it forward in hope to cleanse the Gran Kiltias of his violent end and bring him to peace. The tranquil roll of the Mist mirrored the incense smoke and mingled among it, its pallid hues of blues and greens detectable now and then in its flow.

Mikel too was calling upon the Mist as the staff he held soon had ghostly tendrils swirling playfully around its shaft. The crystals drank in the energy and began to glow, radiating a gentle luminance. They began to gather power, burning brighter and brighter until a flash of pure white light boomed out like a crack of lightning, cutting our song short. It vanished just as swiftly taking with it the wispy Mist. We stood a beat in silence before the disciple bowed his head.

"It is done. The father has taken him into the Light."

I nodded not trusting myself to speak as the hurtful lump in my throat would only cause my voice to break. The Gran Kiltias may have moved on yet my sorrowed remained.

* * *

The song had stopped. Basch strained his hearing in hope to catch further snatches of it echoing through the temple yet all was quiet once more. He had heard the hymn of mourning many a time, he'd even mumbled it himself at his father's funeral yet that same simple song suddenly sounded so soothing as if it were a lullaby for the dead.

Edie had a pleasant singing voice, one he had heard often on their travels but when she had sung just now there had been an edge to it that had never graced it before. Its raw sadness was not only well suited but it gave the overused hymn a new splendour. It had effortlessly brought their trivial chatter to a halt when it first rang out, even the ever interrogative Vaan held his tongue to listen, and now with it finished they remained in silence still.

* * *

With the ceremony complete I returned to my solar to gather my belongings. From what I had seen on the map, Archades was a fair stretch away from our current location and I very much doubted that we would be covering it by airship. The sooner we made a move the better.

My usual clothes had been laid out on the bed. The rips in my dress had been stitched by such a steady hand that it was near impossible to tell where they had once been. I shrugged off the heavy robes and tugged on my dress. Once I was wrapped up in my everyday garb I pulled on my boots and assorted bags. I left the robes folded as neatly as my clumsy fingers could manage. I moved to the solar's door, pausing as my fingers gripped its handle yet quickly dismissed the urge to cast a glance back over my shoulder at my supposed quarters.

Clem escorted me back to the vestibule where Mikel stood waiting, his dead brother's spear in his hands. The broken bamboo pole had been bound together resulting in it looking flimsier than ever. I accepted the weapon with a nod of thanks before frowning.

"I don't understand. You said the spear would never break."

"I too am troubled by that. Mayhap it were because it had been laid to rest in the Garden of the Guardians before you did take it into battle once more or, more troublingly, that the power that Judge did possess was stronger than a spell weaved with the Light."

"Will it break again?"

"I know not. I am sure if your faith is unbreakable so will your weapon be."

"I'm not really the religious type."

"This suggests otherwise." His black talon traced the small bronze trinket that was nestled among the length of my hair.

My fingers flew up to my crown. The headdress was still in place. I had forgotten to remove it, I guess I had become accustom to its weight.

"Sorry. I forgot to leave it with the robes." I moved to unclasp the fixings.

"Do keep it on you, it is yours after all." His clawed hands stilled my grasping fingers. "Whether your faith be forthright or no, the Light will guide you, sister." He turned from me and drew open the temple's great doors.

I stepped towards the entrance, my eyes taking in the bleak scenery. Everything was grey. The ever rolling stretch of clouds was painted a stormy silver and from them came the rush of rain. The scent of wet stone and damp earth mingled with the tang of smoke. It were as if the rain was attempting to cleanse the temple grounds of all the horror it had witnessed yet it would seem it couldn't rid the dark hum of death from the mountain. I took a step forward, hand outstretched to catch down falling droplets. I had thought it were too cold to rain up here. The frigid temperatures still remained, so why wasn't this downpour snow?

"The mountain mourns." Mikel moved to my side, his long head tilted back to look up at the shrouded sky. "The rains have come."

"When will it stop?"

"Not until Fafnir is vanquished once again."

"Fafnir?"

"When Faram did craft this mountain so that it could become scared grounds hellish creatures slunk out from the bowels of the earth to plague it. Mount Bur-Omisace is a land of balance, holy cannot be without evil. Fafnir is that evil."

"So for balance to remain he can't be slain, right? How was he vanquished in the first place?" I lowered my hand.

"By the Gran Kiltias Anastasis. His death did break the seal that was keeping the demon at bay."

"Will you be able to seal Fafnir again?"

"My powers are slight compared to His Grace's. I fear the rains will be upon us for quite some time." He caught my look of guilt. "Go forth, sister. Finish this quest so that whatever has happened to you will be righted and you can return to us."

"I will." I was sure once I found Kaiser, once all this was through it would be back to the norm for both myself and Marishka. She would be able to aid Mikel, I was sure. "Thank you, disciple Mikel."

To show my respect I performed that strange bow that they favoured before stepping out into the rain.

There were so many steps to trudge down. The downpour soon stippled my cloak with beads of water and my hair began to grow damp. My downcast mood reflected this drab weather. I continued to pace on as if in a daze not even pausing once I had reached the end of the flight of steps. I was walking away, leaving behind nothing but anguish and chaos in my wake. It was as if that was my mantra for my whole time in Ivalice- if in doubt, run away. I had lied and ran all the while. So many doubts had been left behind in my fleeing: how I came to be here, how I'd find a way home, if I would ever find Kaiser, the sacrifice Hynal had made for me, the unexplained grief I felt for Gran Kiltias Anastasis, the lust that arose for Al-Cid Margrace, my being Mariska San Costa. It was all too much.

My steps faltered and I grasped the stone lip of the wall that trimmed the edge of the plaza, my eyes blinking to ward off the lashing rain. It was all too much. My chest grew tight. My fingers clawed further at the weathered stone. I gasped willing my suddenly clenched lungs to draw breath. They complied though instead of pushing out a breath, a sob broke free. I bowed my head. With the rain no longer in my face I realised that it was welling tears that had been blurring my sight. I tried to breathe again but was only rewarded with another racking sob. I gave in to it and began to cry. Why I was weeping I couldn't say. I was awash with so many emotions. Self-doubt, fear, anger, confusion and sadness all pooled within me like a swelling dam.

It was as I was feebly attempting to gather these wayward feelings when I heard it, a howl. It wasn't the harmonious high-pitched wail of a mountain wolf but instead a rough cry from its smaller cousin. I turned to see there, stood in the centre of the stone courtyard, was a black dog. I stood stock still unsure of what to do. If I approached he'd no doubt flee again.

"Kaiser." My voice was a faint, hardly audible above the pitter-patter of the rain.

To my surprise he loped forward, his coat glistening with raindrops that speckled his black fur. His amber eyes locked upon my own as he came to a stop before me and sat back. I fell to my knees and circled my arms around him in a tight embrace, burying my face into his damp fur. Relief rose up to easily wipe away the emotions hounding me. Even if it were only a moment's refuge from them I welcomed it wholeheartedly.

"You came back." I sniffed pulling my face back from his coat. "We can go. I will find a way home, I promise."

A soft whine came from him as he moved to lick at my shoulder, his tongue running over the rough spun wool that was my own make-shift coat. I ruffled his fur and stood up. The smile tugging at my lips soon faded as a glance up from him saw that the others were stood at the foot of the steps patiently awaiting me to join them.


End file.
